Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Corien D.M. Nikamp, Marte S.H. Hobbelink, Job van der Palen, Hermie J. Hermens, Johan S. Rietman, Jaap H. Buurke
Initial walking function is often limited after stroke, and regaining walking ability is an important goal in rehabilitation. Various compensatory movement strategies to ensure sufficient foot-clearance are reported. Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are often prescribed to improve foot-clearance and may influence these strategies. However, research studying effects of actual AFO-provision early after stroke is limited. We conducted an explorative randomized controlled trial and aimed to study the short-term effects of AFO-provision on kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters in patients early after stroke. In addition, we studied whether timing of AFO-provision influenced these effects. Unilateral hemiparetic patients maximal six weeks post-stroke were randomly assigned to AFO-provision: early (at inclusion) or delayed (eight weeks later). Three-dimensional gait-analysis with and without AFO in randomized order was performed within two weeks after AFO-provision. Twenty subjects (8 early, 12 delayed) were analyzed. We found significant positive effects of AFO-provision for ankle dorsiflexion at initial contact, foot-off and during swing (-3.6° (7.3) vs 3.0° (3.9); 0.0° (7.4) vs 5.2° (3.7); and −6.1° (7.8) vs 2.6° (3.5), respectively), all p <0.001. No changes in knee, hip and pelvis angles were found after AFO-provision, except for knee (+2.3°) and hip flexion (+1.6°) at initial contact, p≤0.001. Significant effects of AFO-provision were found for cadence (+2.1 steps/min, p=0.026), stride duration (-0.08sec, p=0.015) and single support duration (+1.0%, p=0.002). Early or delayed AFO-provision after stroke did not affect results. In conclusion, positive short-term effects of AFO-provision were found on ankle kinematics early after stroke. Timing of AFO-provision did not influence the results.Trial registration number: NTR1930
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nl6tFj
via IFTTT
Πέμπτη 30 Μαρτίου 2017
Temporal coordination between ground reaction forces generated by leading and trailing limbs for propulsion during double stance phase in human walking
Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Yoichiro Sato, Norimasa Yamada
Although it was reported that ground reaction forces (GRFs) are generated simultaneously by the leading and trailing limbs during the double stance phase, the finding was not examined by temporal analyses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to clarify how GRFs can act to propel the body in a forward direction during the double stance phase. GRFs were recorded during the double stance phase in eleven healthy volunteers. We calculated the instantaneous phase of the GRFs for vertical and anterior-posterior (AP) components, and then calculated the relative phase between the leading and trailing limbs for each component. The relative phase of the vertical component was approximately 180° (i.e., anti-phase), indicating that the lower limb transfers weight smoothly from the trailing limb to the leading limb. The relative phase of the AP component ranged from 40–55°, indicating that the AP component of the forces do not occur simultaneously, but instead has a lag. This finding suggests that the forces exerted by the leading and trailing limbs would temporally coordinate to propel the body in the forward direction.
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mU5JMa
via IFTTT
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Yoichiro Sato, Norimasa Yamada
Although it was reported that ground reaction forces (GRFs) are generated simultaneously by the leading and trailing limbs during the double stance phase, the finding was not examined by temporal analyses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to clarify how GRFs can act to propel the body in a forward direction during the double stance phase. GRFs were recorded during the double stance phase in eleven healthy volunteers. We calculated the instantaneous phase of the GRFs for vertical and anterior-posterior (AP) components, and then calculated the relative phase between the leading and trailing limbs for each component. The relative phase of the vertical component was approximately 180° (i.e., anti-phase), indicating that the lower limb transfers weight smoothly from the trailing limb to the leading limb. The relative phase of the AP component ranged from 40–55°, indicating that the AP component of the forces do not occur simultaneously, but instead has a lag. This finding suggests that the forces exerted by the leading and trailing limbs would temporally coordinate to propel the body in the forward direction.
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mU5JMa
via IFTTT
Longitudinal Gait and Balance Decline in Friedreich’s Ataxia: A Pilot Study
Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Theresa A. Zesiewicz, Jeannie B. Stephenson, Seok Hun Kim, Kelly L. Sullivan, Israt Jahan, Yangxin Huang, Jason L. Salemi, Lynn Wecker, Jessica D. Shaw, Clifton L. Gooch
IntroductionFriedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a devastating, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. Objective measures that detect small changes in neurological function in FA patients are needed to facilitate therapeutic clinical trials. The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze longitudinal changes in gait and balance in subjects with FA using the GAITRite Walkway System® and Biodex Balance System™, respectively, and to test the ability of these measures to detect change over time compared to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS).MethodsThis was a 24-month longitudinal study comparing ambulatory FA subjects with age- and gender-matched, healthy controls. Eight FA subjects and 8 controls were tested at regular intervals using the GAITRite and Biodex Balance systems and the FARS.ResultsIn the FA group, comfortable and fast gait velocity declined 8.0% and 13.9% after 12 months and 24.1% and 30.3% after 24 months, respectively. Postural stability indices increased in FA subjects an average of 41% from baseline to 24 months, representing a decline in balance. Subjects with FA also demonstrated a 17.7% increase in FARS neurological exam scores over 24 months. There were no changes in gait or balance variables in controls. In the FA group, multiple gait and balance measures correlated significantly with FARS neurological exam scores.ConclusionsThe GAITRite and Biodex systems provided objective and clinically relevant measures of functional decline in subjects with FA that correlated significantly with performance measures in the FARS. Gait velocity may be an important objective measure to identify disease progression in adults with FA.
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nkXeFo
via IFTTT
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Theresa A. Zesiewicz, Jeannie B. Stephenson, Seok Hun Kim, Kelly L. Sullivan, Israt Jahan, Yangxin Huang, Jason L. Salemi, Lynn Wecker, Jessica D. Shaw, Clifton L. Gooch
IntroductionFriedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a devastating, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. Objective measures that detect small changes in neurological function in FA patients are needed to facilitate therapeutic clinical trials. The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze longitudinal changes in gait and balance in subjects with FA using the GAITRite Walkway System® and Biodex Balance System™, respectively, and to test the ability of these measures to detect change over time compared to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS).MethodsThis was a 24-month longitudinal study comparing ambulatory FA subjects with age- and gender-matched, healthy controls. Eight FA subjects and 8 controls were tested at regular intervals using the GAITRite and Biodex Balance systems and the FARS.ResultsIn the FA group, comfortable and fast gait velocity declined 8.0% and 13.9% after 12 months and 24.1% and 30.3% after 24 months, respectively. Postural stability indices increased in FA subjects an average of 41% from baseline to 24 months, representing a decline in balance. Subjects with FA also demonstrated a 17.7% increase in FARS neurological exam scores over 24 months. There were no changes in gait or balance variables in controls. In the FA group, multiple gait and balance measures correlated significantly with FARS neurological exam scores.ConclusionsThe GAITRite and Biodex systems provided objective and clinically relevant measures of functional decline in subjects with FA that correlated significantly with performance measures in the FARS. Gait velocity may be an important objective measure to identify disease progression in adults with FA.
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nkXeFo
via IFTTT
A randomized controlled trial on providing ankle-foot orthoses in patients with (sub-)acute stroke: Short-term kinematic and spatiotemporal effects and effects of timing
Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Corien D.M. Nikamp, Marte S.H. Hobbelink, Job van der Palen, Hermie J. Hermens, Johan S. Rietman, Jaap H. Buurke
Initial walking function is often limited after stroke, and regaining walking ability is an important goal in rehabilitation. Various compensatory movement strategies to ensure sufficient foot-clearance are reported. Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are often prescribed to improve foot-clearance and may influence these strategies. However, research studying effects of actual AFO-provision early after stroke is limited. We conducted an explorative randomized controlled trial and aimed to study the short-term effects of AFO-provision on kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters in patients early after stroke. In addition, we studied whether timing of AFO-provision influenced these effects. Unilateral hemiparetic patients maximal six weeks post-stroke were randomly assigned to AFO-provision: early (at inclusion) or delayed (eight weeks later). Three-dimensional gait-analysis with and without AFO in randomized order was performed within two weeks after AFO-provision. Twenty subjects (8 early, 12 delayed) were analyzed. We found significant positive effects of AFO-provision for ankle dorsiflexion at initial contact, foot-off and during swing (-3.6° (7.3) vs 3.0° (3.9); 0.0° (7.4) vs 5.2° (3.7); and −6.1° (7.8) vs 2.6° (3.5), respectively), all p <0.001. No changes in knee, hip and pelvis angles were found after AFO-provision, except for knee (+2.3°) and hip flexion (+1.6°) at initial contact, p≤0.001. Significant effects of AFO-provision were found for cadence (+2.1 steps/min, p=0.026), stride duration (-0.08sec, p=0.015) and single support duration (+1.0%, p=0.002). Early or delayed AFO-provision after stroke did not affect results. In conclusion, positive short-term effects of AFO-provision were found on ankle kinematics early after stroke. Timing of AFO-provision did not influence the results.Trial registration number: NTR1930
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nl6tFj
via IFTTT
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Corien D.M. Nikamp, Marte S.H. Hobbelink, Job van der Palen, Hermie J. Hermens, Johan S. Rietman, Jaap H. Buurke
Initial walking function is often limited after stroke, and regaining walking ability is an important goal in rehabilitation. Various compensatory movement strategies to ensure sufficient foot-clearance are reported. Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are often prescribed to improve foot-clearance and may influence these strategies. However, research studying effects of actual AFO-provision early after stroke is limited. We conducted an explorative randomized controlled trial and aimed to study the short-term effects of AFO-provision on kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters in patients early after stroke. In addition, we studied whether timing of AFO-provision influenced these effects. Unilateral hemiparetic patients maximal six weeks post-stroke were randomly assigned to AFO-provision: early (at inclusion) or delayed (eight weeks later). Three-dimensional gait-analysis with and without AFO in randomized order was performed within two weeks after AFO-provision. Twenty subjects (8 early, 12 delayed) were analyzed. We found significant positive effects of AFO-provision for ankle dorsiflexion at initial contact, foot-off and during swing (-3.6° (7.3) vs 3.0° (3.9); 0.0° (7.4) vs 5.2° (3.7); and −6.1° (7.8) vs 2.6° (3.5), respectively), all p <0.001. No changes in knee, hip and pelvis angles were found after AFO-provision, except for knee (+2.3°) and hip flexion (+1.6°) at initial contact, p≤0.001. Significant effects of AFO-provision were found for cadence (+2.1 steps/min, p=0.026), stride duration (-0.08sec, p=0.015) and single support duration (+1.0%, p=0.002). Early or delayed AFO-provision after stroke did not affect results. In conclusion, positive short-term effects of AFO-provision were found on ankle kinematics early after stroke. Timing of AFO-provision did not influence the results.Trial registration number: NTR1930
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nl6tFj
via IFTTT
Temporal coordination between ground reaction forces generated by leading and trailing limbs for propulsion during double stance phase in human walking
Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Yoichiro Sato, Norimasa Yamada
Although it was reported that ground reaction forces (GRFs) are generated simultaneously by the leading and trailing limbs during the double stance phase, the finding was not examined by temporal analyses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to clarify how GRFs can act to propel the body in a forward direction during the double stance phase. GRFs were recorded during the double stance phase in eleven healthy volunteers. We calculated the instantaneous phase of the GRFs for vertical and anterior-posterior (AP) components, and then calculated the relative phase between the leading and trailing limbs for each component. The relative phase of the vertical component was approximately 180° (i.e., anti-phase), indicating that the lower limb transfers weight smoothly from the trailing limb to the leading limb. The relative phase of the AP component ranged from 40–55°, indicating that the AP component of the forces do not occur simultaneously, but instead has a lag. This finding suggests that the forces exerted by the leading and trailing limbs would temporally coordinate to propel the body in the forward direction.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mU5JMa
via IFTTT
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Yoichiro Sato, Norimasa Yamada
Although it was reported that ground reaction forces (GRFs) are generated simultaneously by the leading and trailing limbs during the double stance phase, the finding was not examined by temporal analyses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to clarify how GRFs can act to propel the body in a forward direction during the double stance phase. GRFs were recorded during the double stance phase in eleven healthy volunteers. We calculated the instantaneous phase of the GRFs for vertical and anterior-posterior (AP) components, and then calculated the relative phase between the leading and trailing limbs for each component. The relative phase of the vertical component was approximately 180° (i.e., anti-phase), indicating that the lower limb transfers weight smoothly from the trailing limb to the leading limb. The relative phase of the AP component ranged from 40–55°, indicating that the AP component of the forces do not occur simultaneously, but instead has a lag. This finding suggests that the forces exerted by the leading and trailing limbs would temporally coordinate to propel the body in the forward direction.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mU5JMa
via IFTTT
Longitudinal Gait and Balance Decline in Friedreich’s Ataxia: A Pilot Study
Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Theresa A. Zesiewicz, Jeannie B. Stephenson, Seok Hun Kim, Kelly L. Sullivan, Israt Jahan, Yangxin Huang, Jason L. Salemi, Lynn Wecker, Jessica D. Shaw, Clifton L. Gooch
IntroductionFriedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a devastating, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. Objective measures that detect small changes in neurological function in FA patients are needed to facilitate therapeutic clinical trials. The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze longitudinal changes in gait and balance in subjects with FA using the GAITRite Walkway System® and Biodex Balance System™, respectively, and to test the ability of these measures to detect change over time compared to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS).MethodsThis was a 24-month longitudinal study comparing ambulatory FA subjects with age- and gender-matched, healthy controls. Eight FA subjects and 8 controls were tested at regular intervals using the GAITRite and Biodex Balance systems and the FARS.ResultsIn the FA group, comfortable and fast gait velocity declined 8.0% and 13.9% after 12 months and 24.1% and 30.3% after 24 months, respectively. Postural stability indices increased in FA subjects an average of 41% from baseline to 24 months, representing a decline in balance. Subjects with FA also demonstrated a 17.7% increase in FARS neurological exam scores over 24 months. There were no changes in gait or balance variables in controls. In the FA group, multiple gait and balance measures correlated significantly with FARS neurological exam scores.ConclusionsThe GAITRite and Biodex systems provided objective and clinically relevant measures of functional decline in subjects with FA that correlated significantly with performance measures in the FARS. Gait velocity may be an important objective measure to identify disease progression in adults with FA.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nkXeFo
via IFTTT
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Theresa A. Zesiewicz, Jeannie B. Stephenson, Seok Hun Kim, Kelly L. Sullivan, Israt Jahan, Yangxin Huang, Jason L. Salemi, Lynn Wecker, Jessica D. Shaw, Clifton L. Gooch
IntroductionFriedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a devastating, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. Objective measures that detect small changes in neurological function in FA patients are needed to facilitate therapeutic clinical trials. The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze longitudinal changes in gait and balance in subjects with FA using the GAITRite Walkway System® and Biodex Balance System™, respectively, and to test the ability of these measures to detect change over time compared to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS).MethodsThis was a 24-month longitudinal study comparing ambulatory FA subjects with age- and gender-matched, healthy controls. Eight FA subjects and 8 controls were tested at regular intervals using the GAITRite and Biodex Balance systems and the FARS.ResultsIn the FA group, comfortable and fast gait velocity declined 8.0% and 13.9% after 12 months and 24.1% and 30.3% after 24 months, respectively. Postural stability indices increased in FA subjects an average of 41% from baseline to 24 months, representing a decline in balance. Subjects with FA also demonstrated a 17.7% increase in FARS neurological exam scores over 24 months. There were no changes in gait or balance variables in controls. In the FA group, multiple gait and balance measures correlated significantly with FARS neurological exam scores.ConclusionsThe GAITRite and Biodex systems provided objective and clinically relevant measures of functional decline in subjects with FA that correlated significantly with performance measures in the FARS. Gait velocity may be an important objective measure to identify disease progression in adults with FA.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nkXeFo
via IFTTT
A randomized controlled trial on providing ankle-foot orthoses in patients with (sub-)acute stroke: Short-term kinematic and spatiotemporal effects and effects of timing
Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Corien D.M. Nikamp, Marte S.H. Hobbelink, Job van der Palen, Hermie J. Hermens, Johan S. Rietman, Jaap H. Buurke
Initial walking function is often limited after stroke, and regaining walking ability is an important goal in rehabilitation. Various compensatory movement strategies to ensure sufficient foot-clearance are reported. Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are often prescribed to improve foot-clearance and may influence these strategies. However, research studying effects of actual AFO-provision early after stroke is limited. We conducted an explorative randomized controlled trial and aimed to study the short-term effects of AFO-provision on kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters in patients early after stroke. In addition, we studied whether timing of AFO-provision influenced these effects. Unilateral hemiparetic patients maximal six weeks post-stroke were randomly assigned to AFO-provision: early (at inclusion) or delayed (eight weeks later). Three-dimensional gait-analysis with and without AFO in randomized order was performed within two weeks after AFO-provision. Twenty subjects (8 early, 12 delayed) were analyzed. We found significant positive effects of AFO-provision for ankle dorsiflexion at initial contact, foot-off and during swing (-3.6° (7.3) vs 3.0° (3.9); 0.0° (7.4) vs 5.2° (3.7); and −6.1° (7.8) vs 2.6° (3.5), respectively), all p <0.001. No changes in knee, hip and pelvis angles were found after AFO-provision, except for knee (+2.3°) and hip flexion (+1.6°) at initial contact, p≤0.001. Significant effects of AFO-provision were found for cadence (+2.1 steps/min, p=0.026), stride duration (-0.08sec, p=0.015) and single support duration (+1.0%, p=0.002). Early or delayed AFO-provision after stroke did not affect results. In conclusion, positive short-term effects of AFO-provision were found on ankle kinematics early after stroke. Timing of AFO-provision did not influence the results.Trial registration number: NTR1930
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nl6tFj
via IFTTT
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Corien D.M. Nikamp, Marte S.H. Hobbelink, Job van der Palen, Hermie J. Hermens, Johan S. Rietman, Jaap H. Buurke
Initial walking function is often limited after stroke, and regaining walking ability is an important goal in rehabilitation. Various compensatory movement strategies to ensure sufficient foot-clearance are reported. Ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) are often prescribed to improve foot-clearance and may influence these strategies. However, research studying effects of actual AFO-provision early after stroke is limited. We conducted an explorative randomized controlled trial and aimed to study the short-term effects of AFO-provision on kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters in patients early after stroke. In addition, we studied whether timing of AFO-provision influenced these effects. Unilateral hemiparetic patients maximal six weeks post-stroke were randomly assigned to AFO-provision: early (at inclusion) or delayed (eight weeks later). Three-dimensional gait-analysis with and without AFO in randomized order was performed within two weeks after AFO-provision. Twenty subjects (8 early, 12 delayed) were analyzed. We found significant positive effects of AFO-provision for ankle dorsiflexion at initial contact, foot-off and during swing (-3.6° (7.3) vs 3.0° (3.9); 0.0° (7.4) vs 5.2° (3.7); and −6.1° (7.8) vs 2.6° (3.5), respectively), all p <0.001. No changes in knee, hip and pelvis angles were found after AFO-provision, except for knee (+2.3°) and hip flexion (+1.6°) at initial contact, p≤0.001. Significant effects of AFO-provision were found for cadence (+2.1 steps/min, p=0.026), stride duration (-0.08sec, p=0.015) and single support duration (+1.0%, p=0.002). Early or delayed AFO-provision after stroke did not affect results. In conclusion, positive short-term effects of AFO-provision were found on ankle kinematics early after stroke. Timing of AFO-provision did not influence the results.Trial registration number: NTR1930
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nl6tFj
via IFTTT
Temporal coordination between ground reaction forces generated by leading and trailing limbs for propulsion during double stance phase in human walking
Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Yoichiro Sato, Norimasa Yamada
Although it was reported that ground reaction forces (GRFs) are generated simultaneously by the leading and trailing limbs during the double stance phase, the finding was not examined by temporal analyses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to clarify how GRFs can act to propel the body in a forward direction during the double stance phase. GRFs were recorded during the double stance phase in eleven healthy volunteers. We calculated the instantaneous phase of the GRFs for vertical and anterior-posterior (AP) components, and then calculated the relative phase between the leading and trailing limbs for each component. The relative phase of the vertical component was approximately 180° (i.e., anti-phase), indicating that the lower limb transfers weight smoothly from the trailing limb to the leading limb. The relative phase of the AP component ranged from 40–55°, indicating that the AP component of the forces do not occur simultaneously, but instead has a lag. This finding suggests that the forces exerted by the leading and trailing limbs would temporally coordinate to propel the body in the forward direction.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mU5JMa
via IFTTT
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Yoichiro Sato, Norimasa Yamada
Although it was reported that ground reaction forces (GRFs) are generated simultaneously by the leading and trailing limbs during the double stance phase, the finding was not examined by temporal analyses. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is to clarify how GRFs can act to propel the body in a forward direction during the double stance phase. GRFs were recorded during the double stance phase in eleven healthy volunteers. We calculated the instantaneous phase of the GRFs for vertical and anterior-posterior (AP) components, and then calculated the relative phase between the leading and trailing limbs for each component. The relative phase of the vertical component was approximately 180° (i.e., anti-phase), indicating that the lower limb transfers weight smoothly from the trailing limb to the leading limb. The relative phase of the AP component ranged from 40–55°, indicating that the AP component of the forces do not occur simultaneously, but instead has a lag. This finding suggests that the forces exerted by the leading and trailing limbs would temporally coordinate to propel the body in the forward direction.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mU5JMa
via IFTTT
Longitudinal Gait and Balance Decline in Friedreich’s Ataxia: A Pilot Study
Publication date: Available online 30 March 2017
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Theresa A. Zesiewicz, Jeannie B. Stephenson, Seok Hun Kim, Kelly L. Sullivan, Israt Jahan, Yangxin Huang, Jason L. Salemi, Lynn Wecker, Jessica D. Shaw, Clifton L. Gooch
IntroductionFriedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a devastating, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. Objective measures that detect small changes in neurological function in FA patients are needed to facilitate therapeutic clinical trials. The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze longitudinal changes in gait and balance in subjects with FA using the GAITRite Walkway System® and Biodex Balance System™, respectively, and to test the ability of these measures to detect change over time compared to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS).MethodsThis was a 24-month longitudinal study comparing ambulatory FA subjects with age- and gender-matched, healthy controls. Eight FA subjects and 8 controls were tested at regular intervals using the GAITRite and Biodex Balance systems and the FARS.ResultsIn the FA group, comfortable and fast gait velocity declined 8.0% and 13.9% after 12 months and 24.1% and 30.3% after 24 months, respectively. Postural stability indices increased in FA subjects an average of 41% from baseline to 24 months, representing a decline in balance. Subjects with FA also demonstrated a 17.7% increase in FARS neurological exam scores over 24 months. There were no changes in gait or balance variables in controls. In the FA group, multiple gait and balance measures correlated significantly with FARS neurological exam scores.ConclusionsThe GAITRite and Biodex systems provided objective and clinically relevant measures of functional decline in subjects with FA that correlated significantly with performance measures in the FARS. Gait velocity may be an important objective measure to identify disease progression in adults with FA.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nkXeFo
via IFTTT
Source:Gait & Posture
Author(s): Theresa A. Zesiewicz, Jeannie B. Stephenson, Seok Hun Kim, Kelly L. Sullivan, Israt Jahan, Yangxin Huang, Jason L. Salemi, Lynn Wecker, Jessica D. Shaw, Clifton L. Gooch
IntroductionFriedreich’s Ataxia (FA) is a devastating, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. Objective measures that detect small changes in neurological function in FA patients are needed to facilitate therapeutic clinical trials. The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze longitudinal changes in gait and balance in subjects with FA using the GAITRite Walkway System® and Biodex Balance System™, respectively, and to test the ability of these measures to detect change over time compared to the Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS).MethodsThis was a 24-month longitudinal study comparing ambulatory FA subjects with age- and gender-matched, healthy controls. Eight FA subjects and 8 controls were tested at regular intervals using the GAITRite and Biodex Balance systems and the FARS.ResultsIn the FA group, comfortable and fast gait velocity declined 8.0% and 13.9% after 12 months and 24.1% and 30.3% after 24 months, respectively. Postural stability indices increased in FA subjects an average of 41% from baseline to 24 months, representing a decline in balance. Subjects with FA also demonstrated a 17.7% increase in FARS neurological exam scores over 24 months. There were no changes in gait or balance variables in controls. In the FA group, multiple gait and balance measures correlated significantly with FARS neurological exam scores.ConclusionsThe GAITRite and Biodex systems provided objective and clinically relevant measures of functional decline in subjects with FA that correlated significantly with performance measures in the FARS. Gait velocity may be an important objective measure to identify disease progression in adults with FA.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nkXeFo
via IFTTT
Gesture Production in Language Impairment: It's Quality, Not Quantity, That Matters
Purpose
The aim of this study was to determine whether children with language impairment (LI) use gesture to compensate for their language difficulties.
Method
The present study investigated gesture accuracy and frequency in children with LI (n = 21) across gesture imitation, gesture elicitation, spontaneous narrative, and interactive problem-solving tasks, relative to typically developing (TD) peers (n = 18) and peers with low language and educational concerns (n = 21).
Results
Children with LI showed weaknesses in gesture accuracy (imitation and gesture elicitation) in comparison to TD peers, but no differences in gesture rate. Children with low language only showed weaknesses in gesture imitation and used significantly more gestures than TD peers during parent–child interaction. Across the whole sample, motor abilities were significantly related to gesture accuracy but not gesture rate. In addition, children with LI produced proportionately more extending gestures, suggesting that they may use gesture to replace words that they are unable to articulate verbally.
Conclusion
The results support the notion that gesture and language form a tightly linked communication system in which gesture deficits are seen alongside difficulties with spoken communication. Furthermore, it is the quality, not quantity of gestures that distinguish children with LI from typical peers.from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nQhceZ
via IFTTT
Temperament and Early Stuttering Development: Cross-Sectional Findings From a Community Cohort
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to ascertain if there is an association between stuttering severity and behaviors and the expression of temperament characteristics, including precursors of anxiety.
Method
We studied temperament characteristics of a prospectively recruited community cohort of children who stutter (N = 173) at ages 3, 4, and 6 years using the Short Temperament Scale STS (Prior, Sanson, Smart & Oberklaid, 2000).
Results
Six of 131 statistical tests of association between stuttering severity and behaviors and temperament traits were statistically significant at the 5% level, which was no more than expected by chance alone.
Conclusions
On the basis of parent responses to the STS, preschoolers who exhibited different levels of stuttering severity and behaviors did not generally express temperament traits differently from one another. Stuttering severity and stuttering behaviors were not associated with the precursors of anxiety. Overall, taking multiple tests into consideration, results show little evidence of association between stuttering severity and temperament up to 4 years of age or between stuttering behaviors and temperament up to 6 years of age.from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nov797
via IFTTT
Gesture Production in Language Impairment: It's Quality, Not Quantity, That Matters
Purpose
The aim of this study was to determine whether children with language impairment (LI) use gesture to compensate for their language difficulties.
Method
The present study investigated gesture accuracy and frequency in children with LI (n = 21) across gesture imitation, gesture elicitation, spontaneous narrative, and interactive problem-solving tasks, relative to typically developing (TD) peers (n = 18) and peers with low language and educational concerns (n = 21).
Results
Children with LI showed weaknesses in gesture accuracy (imitation and gesture elicitation) in comparison to TD peers, but no differences in gesture rate. Children with low language only showed weaknesses in gesture imitation and used significantly more gestures than TD peers during parent–child interaction. Across the whole sample, motor abilities were significantly related to gesture accuracy but not gesture rate. In addition, children with LI produced proportionately more extending gestures, suggesting that they may use gesture to replace words that they are unable to articulate verbally.
Conclusion
The results support the notion that gesture and language form a tightly linked communication system in which gesture deficits are seen alongside difficulties with spoken communication. Furthermore, it is the quality, not quantity of gestures that distinguish children with LI from typical peers.from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nQhceZ
via IFTTT
Temperament and Early Stuttering Development: Cross-Sectional Findings From a Community Cohort
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to ascertain if there is an association between stuttering severity and behaviors and the expression of temperament characteristics, including precursors of anxiety.
Method
We studied temperament characteristics of a prospectively recruited community cohort of children who stutter (N = 173) at ages 3, 4, and 6 years using the Short Temperament Scale STS (Prior, Sanson, Smart & Oberklaid, 2000).
Results
Six of 131 statistical tests of association between stuttering severity and behaviors and temperament traits were statistically significant at the 5% level, which was no more than expected by chance alone.
Conclusions
On the basis of parent responses to the STS, preschoolers who exhibited different levels of stuttering severity and behaviors did not generally express temperament traits differently from one another. Stuttering severity and stuttering behaviors were not associated with the precursors of anxiety. Overall, taking multiple tests into consideration, results show little evidence of association between stuttering severity and temperament up to 4 years of age or between stuttering behaviors and temperament up to 6 years of age.from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nov797
via IFTTT
Gesture Production in Language Impairment: It's Quality, Not Quantity, That Matters
Purpose
The aim of this study was to determine whether children with language impairment (LI) use gesture to compensate for their language difficulties.
Method
The present study investigated gesture accuracy and frequency in children with LI (n = 21) across gesture imitation, gesture elicitation, spontaneous narrative, and interactive problem-solving tasks, relative to typically developing (TD) peers (n = 18) and peers with low language and educational concerns (n = 21).
Results
Children with LI showed weaknesses in gesture accuracy (imitation and gesture elicitation) in comparison to TD peers, but no differences in gesture rate. Children with low language only showed weaknesses in gesture imitation and used significantly more gestures than TD peers during parent–child interaction. Across the whole sample, motor abilities were significantly related to gesture accuracy but not gesture rate. In addition, children with LI produced proportionately more extending gestures, suggesting that they may use gesture to replace words that they are unable to articulate verbally.
Conclusion
The results support the notion that gesture and language form a tightly linked communication system in which gesture deficits are seen alongside difficulties with spoken communication. Furthermore, it is the quality, not quantity of gestures that distinguish children with LI from typical peers.from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nQhceZ
via IFTTT
Temperament and Early Stuttering Development: Cross-Sectional Findings From a Community Cohort
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to ascertain if there is an association between stuttering severity and behaviors and the expression of temperament characteristics, including precursors of anxiety.
Method
We studied temperament characteristics of a prospectively recruited community cohort of children who stutter (N = 173) at ages 3, 4, and 6 years using the Short Temperament Scale STS (Prior, Sanson, Smart & Oberklaid, 2000).
Results
Six of 131 statistical tests of association between stuttering severity and behaviors and temperament traits were statistically significant at the 5% level, which was no more than expected by chance alone.
Conclusions
On the basis of parent responses to the STS, preschoolers who exhibited different levels of stuttering severity and behaviors did not generally express temperament traits differently from one another. Stuttering severity and stuttering behaviors were not associated with the precursors of anxiety. Overall, taking multiple tests into consideration, results show little evidence of association between stuttering severity and temperament up to 4 years of age or between stuttering behaviors and temperament up to 6 years of age.from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nov797
via IFTTT
Effectiveness of betahistine (48 mg/day) in patients with vestibular vertigo during routine practice: The VIRTUOSO study
by Vladimir A. Parfenov, Volodymyr A. Golyk, Eduard I. Matsnev, Svetlana V. Morozova, Oleg A. Melnikov, Ludmila M. Antonenko, Elena E. Sigaleva, Maksym I. Situkho, Olena I. Asaulenko, Vasyl I. Popovych, Maxim V. Zamergrad
BackgroundVestibular vertigo is associated with substantially reduced quality of life. Betahistine is effective in improving vertigo-associated symptoms, with longer treatment periods leading to greater improvements; however, it is not known whether these effects persist after treatment cessation.
MethodsVIRTUOSO was a prospective, multinational, non-comparative, post-marketing observational programme investigating the effectiveness of betahistine (48 mg/day) and the course of vertigo after the discontinuation of treatment. Patients with vestibular vertigo who were prescribed 48 mg/day betahistine were enrolled in Russia and Ukraine. Treatment duration was up to 2 months, and patients were followed up for 2 months after discontinuation of betahistine. Efficacy endpoints included clinical response (assessed by change in vertigo severity), monthly attack frequency, and physician and patient grading of overall clinical response and improvement of vertigo-associated symptoms.
ResultsOverall, 309 patients were enrolled and 305 completed the study. Clinical response was rated as good, very good or excellent in 74.1% of patients at end of treatment, with vertigo severity significantly decreased from baseline (p p p Conclusion
Our findings suggest that betahistine (48 mg/day) therapy is effective in treating vertigo in routine clinical settings. The observed effects persisted for 2 months after treatment cessation, suggesting that betahistine may facilitate lasting vestibular compensation.
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mTqqb1
via IFTTT
Tinnitus Went After 4 Years
For those who suffer from tinnitus, life can be very frustrating. A constant ringing, humming, or buzzing in the ears can disrupt life in numerous ways. However, while tinnitus can be a condition that comes and goes in some people, for others it is continuous and feels as if it will never leave. Because tinnitus can be caused by a variety of issues such as exposure to loud music or noises, high blood pressure, excessive buildup of earwax, or ear infections, there are instances where tinnitus goes away for no apparent reason. In fact, there have been some cases where tinnitus went after 4 years, which gives anyone suffering from this frustrating condition hope that everything will turn out fine.
Exposure to Loud Music
For some people, there is nothing better than attending a loud concert or putting on some headphones and listening to their favorite tunes. However, these activities often result in tinnitus. While the loud ringing or buzzing in the person’s ears can be frustrating and inconvenient, it generally will not be long-lasting. In many cases, this form of tinnitus usually goes away within one or two weeks.
Medication or Wax Buildup
While tinnitus that results from loud music or noises often goes away after two weeks, the same cannot be said for those conditions where tinnitus is due to reactions from medication or excessive wax buildup. In these situations, the tinnitus may go away if the medication is discontinued, or if the wax buildup is removed. However, even when this is done, most patients should expect to wait up to two months for the tinnitus to disappear. In extreme cases, tinnitus went after 4 years, leaving behind little or no reason for its departure.
Natural Remedies
While tinnitus should always be treated by a doctor, there are more and more people who have turned to natural remedies and had excellent results. For those whose tinnitus went after 4 years, some of the natural remedies used include:
–Avoiding smoking and alcohol
–Cutting down on caffeine
–Eating fresh fruits and vegetables
–Exercising regularly
While there are no guarantees these remedies will work for everyone, it’s clear the results bear further examination.
Hope for Your Tinnitus
As you can see, even though tinnitus seems to have no rhyme or reason for coming or going, there is hope that it will go away. By getting a proper diagnosis and taking the necessary steps, it’s possible to be another person whose tinnitus went after 4 years.
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2okZ3Um
via IFTTT
Inhibition of H3K27me3 Histone Demethylase Activity Prevents the Proliferative Regeneration of Zebrafish Lateral Line Neuromasts.
| Related Articles |
Inhibition of H3K27me3 Histone Demethylase Activity Prevents the Proliferative Regeneration of Zebrafish Lateral Line Neuromasts.
Front Mol Neurosci. 2017;10:51
Authors: Bao B, He Y, Tang D, Li W, Li H
Abstract
The H3K27 demethylases are involved in a variety of biological processes, including cell differentiation, proliferation, and cell death by regulating transcriptional activity. However, the function of H3K27 demethylation in the field of hearing research is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of H3K27me3 histone demethylase activity in hair cell regeneration using an in vivo animal model. Our data showed that pharmacologic inhibition of H3K27 demethylase activity with the specific small-molecule inhibitor GSK-J4 decreased the number of regenerated hair cells in response to neomycin damage. Furthermore, inhibition of H3K27me3 histone demethylase activity dramatically suppressed cell proliferation and activated caspase-3 levels in the regenerating neuromasts of the zebrafish lateral line. GSK-J4 administration also increased the expression of p21 and p27 in neuromast cells and inhibited the ERK signaling pathway. Collectively, our findings indicate that H3K27me3 demethylation is a key epigenetic regulator in the process of hair cell regeneration in zebrafish and suggest that H3K27me3 histone demethylase activity might be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of hearing loss.
PMID: 28348517 [PubMed - in process]
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nyh2qA
via IFTTT
Self-Reported Usage, Functional Benefit, and Audiologic Characteristics of Cochlear Implant Patients Who Use a Contralateral Hearing Aid.
Self-Reported Usage, Functional Benefit, and Audiologic Characteristics of Cochlear Implant Patients Who Use a Contralateral Hearing Aid.
Trends Hear. 2017 Jan;21:2331216517699530
Authors: Neuman AC, Waltzman SB, Shapiro WH, Neukam JD, Zeman AM, Svirsky MA
Abstract
Ninety-four unilateral CI patients with bimodal listening experience (CI plus HA in contralateral ear) completed a questionnaire that focused on attitudes toward hearing aid use postimplantation, patterns of usage, and perceived bimodal benefits in daily life. Eighty participants continued HA use and 14 discontinued HA use at the time of the questionnaire. Participant responses provided useful information for counseling patients both before and after implantation. The majority of continuing bimodal (CI plus HA) participants reported adapting to using both devices within 3 months and also reported that they heard better bimodally in quiet, noisy, and reverberant conditions. They also perceived benefits including improved sound quality, better music enjoyment, and sometimes a perceived sense of acoustic balance. Those who discontinued HA use found either that using the HA did not provide additional benefit over the CI alone or that using the HA degraded the signal from the CI. Because there was considerable overlap in the audiograms and in speech recognition performance in the unimplanted ear between the two groups, we recommend that unilateral CI recipients are counseled to continue to use the HA in the contralateral ear postimplantation in order to determine whether or not they receive functional or perceived benefit from using both devices together.
PMID: 28351216 [PubMed - in process]
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2obpD55
via IFTTT
Effects of bilateral vestibular deafferentation in rat on hippocampal theta response to somatosensory stimulation, acetylcholine release, and cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus.
| Related Articles |
Effects of bilateral vestibular deafferentation in rat on hippocampal theta response to somatosensory stimulation, acetylcholine release, and cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus.
Brain Struct Funct. 2017 Mar 27;:
Authors: Aitken P, Zheng Y, Smith PF
Abstract
Vestibular dysfunction has been shown to cause spatial memory impairment. Neurophysiological studies indicate that bilateral vestibular loss (BVL), in particular, is associated with an impairment of the response of hippocampal place cells and theta rhythm. However, the specific neural pathways through which vestibular information reaches the hippocampus are yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the hypothesised 'theta-generating pathway' from the brainstem vestibular nucleus to the hippocampus. BVL, and in some cases, unilateral vestibular loss (UVL), induced by intratympanic sodium arsanilate injections in rats, were used to investigate the effects of vestibular loss on somatosensory-induced type 2 theta rhythm, acetylcholine (ACh) release in the hippocampus, and the number of cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), an important part of the theta-generating pathway. Under urethane anaesthesia, BVL was found to cause a significant increase in the maximum power of the type 2 theta (3-6 Hz) frequency band compared to UVL and sham animals. Rats with BVL generally exhibited a lower basal level of ACh release than sham rats; however, this difference was not statistically significant. The PPTg of BVL rats exhibited significantly more choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive neurons than that of sham animals, as did the contralateral PPTg of UVL animals; however, the number of ChAT-positive neurons on the ipsilateral side of UVL animals was not significantly different from sham animals. The results of these studies indicate that parts of the theta-generating pathway undergo a significant reorganisation following vestibular loss, which suggests that this pathway is important for the interaction between the vestibular system and the hippocampus.
PMID: 28349227 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2njeD0R
via IFTTT
Self-Reported Usage, Functional Benefit, and Audiologic Characteristics of Cochlear Implant Patients Who Use a Contralateral Hearing Aid.
Self-Reported Usage, Functional Benefit, and Audiologic Characteristics of Cochlear Implant Patients Who Use a Contralateral Hearing Aid.
Trends Hear. 2017 Jan;21:2331216517699530
Authors: Neuman AC, Waltzman SB, Shapiro WH, Neukam JD, Zeman AM, Svirsky MA
Abstract
Ninety-four unilateral CI patients with bimodal listening experience (CI plus HA in contralateral ear) completed a questionnaire that focused on attitudes toward hearing aid use postimplantation, patterns of usage, and perceived bimodal benefits in daily life. Eighty participants continued HA use and 14 discontinued HA use at the time of the questionnaire. Participant responses provided useful information for counseling patients both before and after implantation. The majority of continuing bimodal (CI plus HA) participants reported adapting to using both devices within 3 months and also reported that they heard better bimodally in quiet, noisy, and reverberant conditions. They also perceived benefits including improved sound quality, better music enjoyment, and sometimes a perceived sense of acoustic balance. Those who discontinued HA use found either that using the HA did not provide additional benefit over the CI alone or that using the HA degraded the signal from the CI. Because there was considerable overlap in the audiograms and in speech recognition performance in the unimplanted ear between the two groups, we recommend that unilateral CI recipients are counseled to continue to use the HA in the contralateral ear postimplantation in order to determine whether or not they receive functional or perceived benefit from using both devices together.
PMID: 28351216 [PubMed - in process]
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2obpD55
via IFTTT
Effects of bilateral vestibular deafferentation in rat on hippocampal theta response to somatosensory stimulation, acetylcholine release, and cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus.
| Related Articles |
Effects of bilateral vestibular deafferentation in rat on hippocampal theta response to somatosensory stimulation, acetylcholine release, and cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus.
Brain Struct Funct. 2017 Mar 27;:
Authors: Aitken P, Zheng Y, Smith PF
Abstract
Vestibular dysfunction has been shown to cause spatial memory impairment. Neurophysiological studies indicate that bilateral vestibular loss (BVL), in particular, is associated with an impairment of the response of hippocampal place cells and theta rhythm. However, the specific neural pathways through which vestibular information reaches the hippocampus are yet to be fully elucidated. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the hypothesised 'theta-generating pathway' from the brainstem vestibular nucleus to the hippocampus. BVL, and in some cases, unilateral vestibular loss (UVL), induced by intratympanic sodium arsanilate injections in rats, were used to investigate the effects of vestibular loss on somatosensory-induced type 2 theta rhythm, acetylcholine (ACh) release in the hippocampus, and the number of cholinergic neurons in the pedunculopontine tegmental nucleus (PPTg), an important part of the theta-generating pathway. Under urethane anaesthesia, BVL was found to cause a significant increase in the maximum power of the type 2 theta (3-6 Hz) frequency band compared to UVL and sham animals. Rats with BVL generally exhibited a lower basal level of ACh release than sham rats; however, this difference was not statistically significant. The PPTg of BVL rats exhibited significantly more choline-acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive neurons than that of sham animals, as did the contralateral PPTg of UVL animals; however, the number of ChAT-positive neurons on the ipsilateral side of UVL animals was not significantly different from sham animals. The results of these studies indicate that parts of the theta-generating pathway undergo a significant reorganisation following vestibular loss, which suggests that this pathway is important for the interaction between the vestibular system and the hippocampus.
PMID: 28349227 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2njeD0R
via IFTTT
Reply to “Critical examination of the article: Impulse noise injury based on the cochlear energy”
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Brissi Zagadou, Philemon Chan, Kevin Ho, David Shelley
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2oaUfDL
via IFTTT
Reply to “Critical examination of the article: Impulse noise injury based on the cochlear energy”
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Brissi Zagadou, Philemon Chan, Kevin Ho, David Shelley
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2oaUfDL
via IFTTT
Reply to “Critical examination of the article: Impulse noise injury based on the cochlear energy”
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Brissi Zagadou, Philemon Chan, Kevin Ho, David Shelley
from #Audiology via xlomafota13 on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2oaUfDL
via IFTTT
Effects of Simulated Hearing Loss on Bilingual Children's Consonant Recognition in Noise.
Objective: This study investigated the possible impact of simulated hearing loss on speech perception in Spanish-English bilingual children. To avoid confound between individual differences in hearing-loss configuration and linguistic experience, threshold-elevating noise simulating a mild-to-moderate sloping hearing loss was used with normal-hearing listeners. The hypotheses were that: (1) bilingual children can perform similarly to English-speaking monolingual peers in quiet; (2) for both bilingual and monolingual children, noise and simulated hearing loss would have detrimental impacts consistent with their acoustic characteristics (i.e., consonants with high-frequency cues remain highly intelligible in speech-shaped noise, but suffer from simulated hearing loss more than other consonants); (3) differences in phonology and acquisition order between Spanish and English would have additional negative influence on bilingual children's recognition of some English consonants. Design: Listeners were 11 English-dominant, Spanish-English bilingual children (6 to 12 years old) and 12 English-speaking, monolingual age peers. All had normal hearing and age-appropriate nonverbal intelligence and expressive English vocabulary. Listeners performed a listen-and-repeat speech perception task. Targets were 13 American English consonants embedded in vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) syllables. VCVs were presented in quiet and in speech-shaped noise at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of -5, 0, 5 dB (normal-hearing condition). For the simulated hearing-loss condition, threshold-elevating noise modeling a mild-to-moderate sloping sensorineural hearing loss profile was added to the normal-hearing stimuli for 0, 5 dB SNR, and quiet. Responses were scored for consonant correct. Individual listeners' performance was summarized for average across 13 consonants (overall) and for individual consonants. Results: Groups were compared for the effects of background noise and simulated hearing loss. As predicted, group performed similarly in quiet. The simulated hearing loss had a considerable detrimental impact on both groups, even in the absence of speech-shaped noise. Contrary to our prediction, no group difference was observed at any SNR in either condition. However, although nonsignificant, the greater within-group variance for the bilingual children in the normal-hearing condition indicated a wider "normal" range than for the monolingual children. Interestingly, although it did not contribute to the group difference, bilingual children's overall consonant recognition in both conditions improved with age, whereas such a developmental trend for monolingual children was observed only in the simulated hearing-loss condition, suggesting possible effects of experience. As for the recognition of individual consonants, the influence of background noise or simulated hearing loss was similar between groups and was consistent with the prediction based on their acoustic characteristics. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that school-age, English-dominant, Spanish-English bilingual children can recognize English consonants in a background of speech-shaped noise with similar average accuracy as English-speaking monolingual age peers. The general impact of simulated hearing loss was also similar between bilingual and monolingual children. Thus, our hypothesis that bilingual children's English consonant recognition would suffer from background noise or simulated hearing loss more than the monolingual peers was rejected. However, the present results raise several issues that warrant further investigation, including the possible difference in the "normal" range for bilingual and monolingual children, influence of experience, impact of actual hearing loss on bilingual children, and stimulus quality. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mRCs4y
via IFTTT
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mRCs4y
via IFTTT
Effects of Simulated Hearing Loss on Bilingual Children's Consonant Recognition in Noise.
Objective: This study investigated the possible impact of simulated hearing loss on speech perception in Spanish-English bilingual children. To avoid confound between individual differences in hearing-loss configuration and linguistic experience, threshold-elevating noise simulating a mild-to-moderate sloping hearing loss was used with normal-hearing listeners. The hypotheses were that: (1) bilingual children can perform similarly to English-speaking monolingual peers in quiet; (2) for both bilingual and monolingual children, noise and simulated hearing loss would have detrimental impacts consistent with their acoustic characteristics (i.e., consonants with high-frequency cues remain highly intelligible in speech-shaped noise, but suffer from simulated hearing loss more than other consonants); (3) differences in phonology and acquisition order between Spanish and English would have additional negative influence on bilingual children's recognition of some English consonants. Design: Listeners were 11 English-dominant, Spanish-English bilingual children (6 to 12 years old) and 12 English-speaking, monolingual age peers. All had normal hearing and age-appropriate nonverbal intelligence and expressive English vocabulary. Listeners performed a listen-and-repeat speech perception task. Targets were 13 American English consonants embedded in vowel-consonant-vowel (VCV) syllables. VCVs were presented in quiet and in speech-shaped noise at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) of -5, 0, 5 dB (normal-hearing condition). For the simulated hearing-loss condition, threshold-elevating noise modeling a mild-to-moderate sloping sensorineural hearing loss profile was added to the normal-hearing stimuli for 0, 5 dB SNR, and quiet. Responses were scored for consonant correct. Individual listeners' performance was summarized for average across 13 consonants (overall) and for individual consonants. Results: Groups were compared for the effects of background noise and simulated hearing loss. As predicted, group performed similarly in quiet. The simulated hearing loss had a considerable detrimental impact on both groups, even in the absence of speech-shaped noise. Contrary to our prediction, no group difference was observed at any SNR in either condition. However, although nonsignificant, the greater within-group variance for the bilingual children in the normal-hearing condition indicated a wider "normal" range than for the monolingual children. Interestingly, although it did not contribute to the group difference, bilingual children's overall consonant recognition in both conditions improved with age, whereas such a developmental trend for monolingual children was observed only in the simulated hearing-loss condition, suggesting possible effects of experience. As for the recognition of individual consonants, the influence of background noise or simulated hearing loss was similar between groups and was consistent with the prediction based on their acoustic characteristics. Conclusions: The results demonstrated that school-age, English-dominant, Spanish-English bilingual children can recognize English consonants in a background of speech-shaped noise with similar average accuracy as English-speaking monolingual age peers. The general impact of simulated hearing loss was also similar between bilingual and monolingual children. Thus, our hypothesis that bilingual children's English consonant recognition would suffer from background noise or simulated hearing loss more than the monolingual peers was rejected. However, the present results raise several issues that warrant further investigation, including the possible difference in the "normal" range for bilingual and monolingual children, influence of experience, impact of actual hearing loss on bilingual children, and stimulus quality. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mRCs4y
via IFTTT
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mRCs4y
via IFTTT
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services EHDI-PALS: Building a National Facility Database.
Objectives: To create a searchable web-based national audiology facility directory using a standardized survey, so parents and providers could identify which facilities had capacity to provide appropriate services based on child's age. Design: An Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services expert panel was convened to create a survey to collect audiology facility information. Professional practice documents were reviewed, a survey was designed to collect pertinent test protocols of each audiology facility, and a standard of care template was created to cross-check survey answers. Audiology facility information across the United States was collected and compiled into a directory structured and displayed in an interactive website, ehdipals.org. Results: Since November 7, 2012, to May 21, 2016, over 1000 facilities have completed the survey and become listed in the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services directory. The site has registered 10,759 unique visitors, 151,981 page views, and 9134 unique searches from consumers. User feedback has been positive overall. Conclusion: A searchable, web-based facility directory has proven useful to consumers as a tool to help them differentiate whether a facility was set up to test newborns versus young children. Use of a preprogrammed standard of practice template to cross-check survey answers was also shown to be a practical aid. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2ny6TtJ
via IFTTT
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2ny6TtJ
via IFTTT
Consequences of Early Conductive Hearing Loss on Long-Term Binaural Processing.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term effects of early conductive hearing loss on binaural processing in school-age children. Design: One hundred and eighteen children participated in the study, 82 children with a documented history of conductive hearing loss associated with otitis media and 36 controls who had documented histories showing no evidence of otitis media or conductive hearing loss. All children were demonstrated to have normal-hearing acuity and middle ear function at the time of assessment. The Listening in Spatialized Noise Sentence (LiSN-S) task and the masking level difference (MLD) task were used as the two different measures of binaural interaction ability. Results: Children with a history of conductive hearing loss performed significantly poorer than controls on all LiSN-S conditions relying on binaural cues (DV90, p =
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mRFl5r
via IFTTT
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mRFl5r
via IFTTT
Indexing cortical entrainment to natural speech at the phonemic level: Methodological considerations for applied research
Publication date: Available online 27 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Giovanni M. Di Liberto, Edmund C. Lalor
Speech is central to human life. As such, any delay or impairment in receptive speech processing can have a profoundly negative impact on the social and professional life of a person. Thus, being able to assess the integrity of speech processing in different populations is an important goal. Current standardized assessment is mostly based on psychometric measures that do not capture the full extent of a person's speech processing abilities and that are difficult to administer in some subjects groups. A potential alternative to these tests would be to derive “direct”, objective measures of speech processing from cortical activity. One such approach was recently introduced and showed that it is possible to use electroencephalography (EEG) to index cortical processing at the level of phonemes from responses to continuous natural speech. However, a large amount of data was required for such analyses. This limits the usefulness of this approach for assessing speech processing in particular cohorts for whom data collection is difficult. Here, we used EEG data from 10 subjects to assess whether measures reflecting phoneme-level processing could be reliably obtained using only 10 min of recording time from each subject. This was done successfully using a generic modeling approach wherein the data from a training group composed of 9 subjects were combined to derive robust predictions of the EEG signal for new subjects. This allowed the derivation of indices of cortical activity at the level of phonemes and the disambiguation of responses to specific phonetic features (e.g., stop, plosive, and nasal consonants) with limited data. This objective approach has the potential to complement psychometric measures of speech processing in a wide variety of subjects.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2lQwayD
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Giovanni M. Di Liberto, Edmund C. Lalor
Speech is central to human life. As such, any delay or impairment in receptive speech processing can have a profoundly negative impact on the social and professional life of a person. Thus, being able to assess the integrity of speech processing in different populations is an important goal. Current standardized assessment is mostly based on psychometric measures that do not capture the full extent of a person's speech processing abilities and that are difficult to administer in some subjects groups. A potential alternative to these tests would be to derive “direct”, objective measures of speech processing from cortical activity. One such approach was recently introduced and showed that it is possible to use electroencephalography (EEG) to index cortical processing at the level of phonemes from responses to continuous natural speech. However, a large amount of data was required for such analyses. This limits the usefulness of this approach for assessing speech processing in particular cohorts for whom data collection is difficult. Here, we used EEG data from 10 subjects to assess whether measures reflecting phoneme-level processing could be reliably obtained using only 10 min of recording time from each subject. This was done successfully using a generic modeling approach wherein the data from a training group composed of 9 subjects were combined to derive robust predictions of the EEG signal for new subjects. This allowed the derivation of indices of cortical activity at the level of phonemes and the disambiguation of responses to specific phonetic features (e.g., stop, plosive, and nasal consonants) with limited data. This objective approach has the potential to complement psychometric measures of speech processing in a wide variety of subjects.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2lQwayD
via IFTTT
Speech-in-noise perception in musicians: A review
Publication date: Available online 14 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Emily B.J. Coffey, Nicolette B. Mogilever, Robert J. Zatorre
The ability to understand speech in the presence of competing sound sources is an important neuroscience question in terms of how the nervous system solves this computational problem. It is also a critical clinical problem that disproportionally affects the elderly, children with language-related learning disorders, and those with hearing loss. Recent evidence that musicians have an advantage on this multifaceted skill has led to the suggestion that musical training might be used to improve or delay the decline of speech-in-noise (SIN) function. However, enhancements have not been universally reported, nor have the relative contributions of different bottom-up versus top-down processes, and their relation to preexisting factors been disentangled. This information that would be helpful to establish whether there is a real effect of experience, what exactly is its nature, and how future training-based interventions might target the most relevant components of cognitive processes. These questions are complicated by important differences in study design and uneven coverage of neuroimaging modality. In this review, we aim to systematize recent results from studies that have specifically looked at musician-related differences in SIN by their study design properties, to summarize the findings, and to identify knowledge gaps for future work.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kHwmia
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Emily B.J. Coffey, Nicolette B. Mogilever, Robert J. Zatorre
The ability to understand speech in the presence of competing sound sources is an important neuroscience question in terms of how the nervous system solves this computational problem. It is also a critical clinical problem that disproportionally affects the elderly, children with language-related learning disorders, and those with hearing loss. Recent evidence that musicians have an advantage on this multifaceted skill has led to the suggestion that musical training might be used to improve or delay the decline of speech-in-noise (SIN) function. However, enhancements have not been universally reported, nor have the relative contributions of different bottom-up versus top-down processes, and their relation to preexisting factors been disentangled. This information that would be helpful to establish whether there is a real effect of experience, what exactly is its nature, and how future training-based interventions might target the most relevant components of cognitive processes. These questions are complicated by important differences in study design and uneven coverage of neuroimaging modality. In this review, we aim to systematize recent results from studies that have specifically looked at musician-related differences in SIN by their study design properties, to summarize the findings, and to identify knowledge gaps for future work.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kHwmia
via IFTTT
Modulation of auditory percepts by transcutaneous electrical stimulation
Publication date: Available online 18 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Margarete Anna Ueberfuhr, Amalia Braun, Lutz Wiegrebe, Benedikt Grothe, Markus Drexl
Transcutaneous, electrical stimulation with electrodes placed on the mastoid processes represents a specific way to elicit vestibular reflexes in humans without active or passive subject movements, for which the term galvanic vestibular stimulation was coined. It has been suggested that galvanic vestibular stimulation mainly affects the vestibular periphery, but whether vestibular hair cells, vestibular afferents, or a combination of both are excited, is still a matter of debate. Galvanic vestibular stimulation has been in use since the late 18th century, but despite the long-known and well-documented effects on the vestibular system, reports of the effect of electrical stimulation on the adjacent cochlea or the ascending auditory pathway are surprisingly sparse.The present study examines the effect of transcutaneous, electrical stimulation of the human auditory periphery employing evoked and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and several psychoacoustic measures. In particular, level growth functions of distortion product otoacoustic emissions were recorded during electrical stimulation with alternating currents (2 Hz, 1 – 4 mA in 1 mA-steps). In addition, the level and frequency of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions were followed before, during, and after electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 1 – 4 mA). To explore the effect of electrical stimulation on the retrocochlear level (i.e. on the ascending auditory pathway beyond the cochlea), psychoacoustic experiments were carried out. Specifically, participants indicated whether electrical stimulation (4 Hz, 2 and 3 mA) induced amplitude modulations of the perception of a pure tone, and of auditory illusions after presentation of either an intense, low-frequency sound (Bounce tinnitus) or a faint band-stop noise (Zwicker tone).These three psychoacoustic measures revealed significant perceived amplitude modulations during electrical stimulation in the majority of participants. However, no significant changes of evoked and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions could be detected during electrical stimulation relative to recordings without electrical stimulation.The present findings show that cochlear function, as assessed with spontaneous and evoked otoacoustic emissions, is not affected by transcutaneous electrical stimulation, at the currents used in this study. Psychoacoustic measures like pure tone perception, but also auditory illusions, are affected by electrical stimulation. This indicates that activity of the retrocochlear ascending auditory pathway is modulated during transcutaneous electrical stimulation.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mpddGJ
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Margarete Anna Ueberfuhr, Amalia Braun, Lutz Wiegrebe, Benedikt Grothe, Markus Drexl
Transcutaneous, electrical stimulation with electrodes placed on the mastoid processes represents a specific way to elicit vestibular reflexes in humans without active or passive subject movements, for which the term galvanic vestibular stimulation was coined. It has been suggested that galvanic vestibular stimulation mainly affects the vestibular periphery, but whether vestibular hair cells, vestibular afferents, or a combination of both are excited, is still a matter of debate. Galvanic vestibular stimulation has been in use since the late 18th century, but despite the long-known and well-documented effects on the vestibular system, reports of the effect of electrical stimulation on the adjacent cochlea or the ascending auditory pathway are surprisingly sparse.The present study examines the effect of transcutaneous, electrical stimulation of the human auditory periphery employing evoked and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and several psychoacoustic measures. In particular, level growth functions of distortion product otoacoustic emissions were recorded during electrical stimulation with alternating currents (2 Hz, 1 – 4 mA in 1 mA-steps). In addition, the level and frequency of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions were followed before, during, and after electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 1 – 4 mA). To explore the effect of electrical stimulation on the retrocochlear level (i.e. on the ascending auditory pathway beyond the cochlea), psychoacoustic experiments were carried out. Specifically, participants indicated whether electrical stimulation (4 Hz, 2 and 3 mA) induced amplitude modulations of the perception of a pure tone, and of auditory illusions after presentation of either an intense, low-frequency sound (Bounce tinnitus) or a faint band-stop noise (Zwicker tone).These three psychoacoustic measures revealed significant perceived amplitude modulations during electrical stimulation in the majority of participants. However, no significant changes of evoked and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions could be detected during electrical stimulation relative to recordings without electrical stimulation.The present findings show that cochlear function, as assessed with spontaneous and evoked otoacoustic emissions, is not affected by transcutaneous electrical stimulation, at the currents used in this study. Psychoacoustic measures like pure tone perception, but also auditory illusions, are affected by electrical stimulation. This indicates that activity of the retrocochlear ascending auditory pathway is modulated during transcutaneous electrical stimulation.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mpddGJ
via IFTTT
The pattern and degree of capsular fibrous sheaths surrounding cochlear electrode arrays
Publication date: Available online 17 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Reuven Ishai, Barbara S. Herrmann, Joseph B. Nadol, Alicia M. Quesnel
An inflammatory tissue reaction around the electrode array of a cochlear implant (CI) is common, in particular at the electrode insertion region (cochleostomy) where mechanical trauma often occurs. However, the factors determining the amount and causes of fibrous reaction surrounding the stimulating electrode, especially medially near the perimodiolar location, are unclear. Temporal bone (TB) specimens from patients who had undergone cochlear implantation during life with either Advanced Bionics (AB) Clarion ™ or HiRes90K™ (Sylmar, CA, USA) devices that have a half-band and a pre-curved electrode, or Cochlear ™ Nucleus (Sydney, Australia) device that have a full-band and a straight electrode were evaluated. The thickness of the fibrous tissue surrounding the electrode array of both types of CI devices at both the lower (LB) and upper (UB) basal turns of the cochlea was quantified at three locations: the medial, inferior, and superior aspects of the sheath. Fracture of the osseous spiral lamina and/or marked displacement of the basilar membrane were interpreted as evidence of intracochlear trauma. In addition, post-operative word recognition scores, duration of implantation, and post-operative programming data were evaluated.Seven TBs from six patients implanted with AB devices and five TBs from five patients implanted with Nucleus devices were included. A fibrous capsule around the stimulating electrode array was present in all twelve specimens. TBs implanted with AB device had a significantly thicker fibrous capsule at the medial aspect than at the inferior or superior aspects at both locations (LB and UB) of the cochlea (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, p < 0.01). TBs implanted with a Nucleus device had no difference in the thickness of the fibrous capsule surrounding the track of the electrode array (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, p > 0.05). Nine of fourteen (64%) basal turns of the cochlea (LB and UB of seven TBs) implanted with AB devices demonstrated intracochlear trauma compared to two of ten (20%) basal turns of the cochlea (LB and UB of five TBs) with Nucleus devices, (Fisher exact test, p < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the thickness of the fibrous tissue and the duration of implantation or the word recognition scores (Spearman rho, p = 0.06, p = 0.4 respectively). Our outcomes demonstrated the development of a robust fibrous tissue sheath medially closest to the site of electric stimulation in cases implanted with the AB device electrode, but not in cases implanted with the Nucleus device. The cause of the asymmetric fibrous sheath may be multifactorial including insertional trauma, a foreign body response, and/or asymmetric current flow.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2l3l4aA
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Reuven Ishai, Barbara S. Herrmann, Joseph B. Nadol, Alicia M. Quesnel
An inflammatory tissue reaction around the electrode array of a cochlear implant (CI) is common, in particular at the electrode insertion region (cochleostomy) where mechanical trauma often occurs. However, the factors determining the amount and causes of fibrous reaction surrounding the stimulating electrode, especially medially near the perimodiolar location, are unclear. Temporal bone (TB) specimens from patients who had undergone cochlear implantation during life with either Advanced Bionics (AB) Clarion ™ or HiRes90K™ (Sylmar, CA, USA) devices that have a half-band and a pre-curved electrode, or Cochlear ™ Nucleus (Sydney, Australia) device that have a full-band and a straight electrode were evaluated. The thickness of the fibrous tissue surrounding the electrode array of both types of CI devices at both the lower (LB) and upper (UB) basal turns of the cochlea was quantified at three locations: the medial, inferior, and superior aspects of the sheath. Fracture of the osseous spiral lamina and/or marked displacement of the basilar membrane were interpreted as evidence of intracochlear trauma. In addition, post-operative word recognition scores, duration of implantation, and post-operative programming data were evaluated.Seven TBs from six patients implanted with AB devices and five TBs from five patients implanted with Nucleus devices were included. A fibrous capsule around the stimulating electrode array was present in all twelve specimens. TBs implanted with AB device had a significantly thicker fibrous capsule at the medial aspect than at the inferior or superior aspects at both locations (LB and UB) of the cochlea (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, p < 0.01). TBs implanted with a Nucleus device had no difference in the thickness of the fibrous capsule surrounding the track of the electrode array (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, p > 0.05). Nine of fourteen (64%) basal turns of the cochlea (LB and UB of seven TBs) implanted with AB devices demonstrated intracochlear trauma compared to two of ten (20%) basal turns of the cochlea (LB and UB of five TBs) with Nucleus devices, (Fisher exact test, p < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the thickness of the fibrous tissue and the duration of implantation or the word recognition scores (Spearman rho, p = 0.06, p = 0.4 respectively). Our outcomes demonstrated the development of a robust fibrous tissue sheath medially closest to the site of electric stimulation in cases implanted with the AB device electrode, but not in cases implanted with the Nucleus device. The cause of the asymmetric fibrous sheath may be multifactorial including insertional trauma, a foreign body response, and/or asymmetric current flow.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2l3l4aA
via IFTTT
Comparison of perceptual properties of auditory streaming between spectral and amplitude modulation domains
Publication date: Available online 18 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Shimpei Yamagishi, Sho Otsuka, Shigeto Furukawa, Makio Kashino
The two-tone sequence (ABA_), which comprises two different sounds (A and B) and a silent gap, has been used to investigate how the auditory system organizes sequential sounds depending on various stimulus conditions or brain states. Auditory streaming can be evoked by differences not only in the tone frequency (“spectral cue”: ΔFTONE, TONE condition) but also in the amplitude modulation rate (“AM cue”: ΔFAM, AM condition). The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between the perceptual properties of auditory streaming for the TONE and AM conditions. A sequence with a long duration (400 repetitions of ABA_) was used to examine the property of the bistability of streaming. The ratio of feature differences that evoked an equivalent probability of the segregated percept was close to the ratio of the Q-values of the auditory and modulation filters, consistent with a “channeling theory” of auditory streaming. On the other hand, for values of ΔFAM and ΔFTONE evoking equal probabilities of the segregated percept, the number of perceptual switches was larger for the TONE condition than for the AM condition, indicating that the mechanism(s) that determine the bistability of auditory streaming are different between or sensitive to the two domains. Nevertheless, the number of switches for individual listeners was positively correlated between the spectral and AM domains. The results suggest a possibility that the neural substrates for spectral and AM processes share a common switching mechanism but differ in location and/or in the properties of neural activity or the strength of internal noise at each level.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nGA4xC
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Shimpei Yamagishi, Sho Otsuka, Shigeto Furukawa, Makio Kashino
The two-tone sequence (ABA_), which comprises two different sounds (A and B) and a silent gap, has been used to investigate how the auditory system organizes sequential sounds depending on various stimulus conditions or brain states. Auditory streaming can be evoked by differences not only in the tone frequency (“spectral cue”: ΔFTONE, TONE condition) but also in the amplitude modulation rate (“AM cue”: ΔFAM, AM condition). The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between the perceptual properties of auditory streaming for the TONE and AM conditions. A sequence with a long duration (400 repetitions of ABA_) was used to examine the property of the bistability of streaming. The ratio of feature differences that evoked an equivalent probability of the segregated percept was close to the ratio of the Q-values of the auditory and modulation filters, consistent with a “channeling theory” of auditory streaming. On the other hand, for values of ΔFAM and ΔFTONE evoking equal probabilities of the segregated percept, the number of perceptual switches was larger for the TONE condition than for the AM condition, indicating that the mechanism(s) that determine the bistability of auditory streaming are different between or sensitive to the two domains. Nevertheless, the number of switches for individual listeners was positively correlated between the spectral and AM domains. The results suggest a possibility that the neural substrates for spectral and AM processes share a common switching mechanism but differ in location and/or in the properties of neural activity or the strength of internal noise at each level.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nGA4xC
via IFTTT
Speech intelligibility and subjective benefit in single-sided deaf adults after cochlear implantation
Publication date: Available online 10 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Mareike Finke, Angelika Strauß-Schier, Eugen Kludt, Andreas Büchner, Angelika Illg
Treatment with cochlear implants (CIs) in single-sided deaf individuals started less than a decade ago. CIs can successfully reduce incapacitating tinnitus on the deaf ear and allow, so some extent, the restoration of binaural hearing. Until now, systematic evaluations of subjective CI benefit in post-lingually single-sided deaf individuals and analyses of speech intelligibility outcome for the CI in isolation have been lacking.For the prospective part of this study, the Bern Benefit in Single-Sided Deafness Questionnaire (BBSS) was administered to 48 single-sided deaf CI users to evaluate the subjectively perceived CI benefit across different listening situations. In the retrospective part, speech intelligibility outcome with the CI up to 12 month post-activation was compared between 100 single-sided deaf CI users and 125 bilaterally implanted CI users (2nd implant).The positive median ratings in the BBSS differed significantly from zero for all items suggesting that most individuals with single-sided deafness rate their CI as beneficial across listening situations. The speech perception scores in quiet and noise improved significantly over time in both groups of CI users. Speech intelligibility with the CI in isolation was significantly better in bilaterally implanted CI users (2nd implant) compared to the scores obtained from single-sided deaf CI users.Our results indicate that CI users with single-sided deafness can reach open set speech understanding with their CI in isolation, encouraging the extension of the CI indication to individuals with normal hearing on the contralateral ear. Compared to the performance reached with bilateral CI users’ second implant, speech reception threshold are lower, indicating an aural preference and dominance of the normal hearing ear. The results from the BBSS propose good satisfaction with the CI across several listening situations.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mQv8FK
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Mareike Finke, Angelika Strauß-Schier, Eugen Kludt, Andreas Büchner, Angelika Illg
Treatment with cochlear implants (CIs) in single-sided deaf individuals started less than a decade ago. CIs can successfully reduce incapacitating tinnitus on the deaf ear and allow, so some extent, the restoration of binaural hearing. Until now, systematic evaluations of subjective CI benefit in post-lingually single-sided deaf individuals and analyses of speech intelligibility outcome for the CI in isolation have been lacking.For the prospective part of this study, the Bern Benefit in Single-Sided Deafness Questionnaire (BBSS) was administered to 48 single-sided deaf CI users to evaluate the subjectively perceived CI benefit across different listening situations. In the retrospective part, speech intelligibility outcome with the CI up to 12 month post-activation was compared between 100 single-sided deaf CI users and 125 bilaterally implanted CI users (2nd implant).The positive median ratings in the BBSS differed significantly from zero for all items suggesting that most individuals with single-sided deafness rate their CI as beneficial across listening situations. The speech perception scores in quiet and noise improved significantly over time in both groups of CI users. Speech intelligibility with the CI in isolation was significantly better in bilaterally implanted CI users (2nd implant) compared to the scores obtained from single-sided deaf CI users.Our results indicate that CI users with single-sided deafness can reach open set speech understanding with their CI in isolation, encouraging the extension of the CI indication to individuals with normal hearing on the contralateral ear. Compared to the performance reached with bilateral CI users’ second implant, speech reception threshold are lower, indicating an aural preference and dominance of the normal hearing ear. The results from the BBSS propose good satisfaction with the CI across several listening situations.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mQv8FK
via IFTTT
Contributions of sensory tuning to auditory-vocal interactions in marmoset auditory cortex
Publication date: Available online 9 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Steven J. Eliades, Xiaoqin Wang
During speech, humans continuously listen to their own vocal output to ensure accurate communication. Such self-monitoring is thought to require the integration of information about the feedback of vocal acoustics with internal motor control signals. The neural mechanism of this auditory-vocal interaction remains largely unknown at the cellular level. Previous studies in naturally vocalizing marmosets have demonstrated diverse neural activities in auditory cortex during vocalization, dominated by a vocalization-induced suppression of neural firing. How underlying auditory tuning properties of these neurons might contribute to this sensory-motor processing is unknown. In the present study, we quantitatively compared marmoset auditory cortex neural activities during vocal production with those during passive listening. We found that neurons excited during vocalization were readily driven by passive playback of vocalizations and other acoustic stimuli. In contrast, neurons suppressed during vocalization exhibited more diverse playback responses, including responses that were not predictable by auditory tuning properties. These results suggest that vocalization-related excitation in auditory cortex is largely a sensory-driven response. In contrast, vocalization-induced suppression is not well predicted by a neuron's auditory responses, supporting the prevailing theory that internal motor-related signals contribute to the auditory-vocal interaction observed in auditory cortex.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mFx1EI
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Steven J. Eliades, Xiaoqin Wang
During speech, humans continuously listen to their own vocal output to ensure accurate communication. Such self-monitoring is thought to require the integration of information about the feedback of vocal acoustics with internal motor control signals. The neural mechanism of this auditory-vocal interaction remains largely unknown at the cellular level. Previous studies in naturally vocalizing marmosets have demonstrated diverse neural activities in auditory cortex during vocalization, dominated by a vocalization-induced suppression of neural firing. How underlying auditory tuning properties of these neurons might contribute to this sensory-motor processing is unknown. In the present study, we quantitatively compared marmoset auditory cortex neural activities during vocal production with those during passive listening. We found that neurons excited during vocalization were readily driven by passive playback of vocalizations and other acoustic stimuli. In contrast, neurons suppressed during vocalization exhibited more diverse playback responses, including responses that were not predictable by auditory tuning properties. These results suggest that vocalization-related excitation in auditory cortex is largely a sensory-driven response. In contrast, vocalization-induced suppression is not well predicted by a neuron's auditory responses, supporting the prevailing theory that internal motor-related signals contribute to the auditory-vocal interaction observed in auditory cortex.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mFx1EI
via IFTTT
Isolating spectral cues in amplitude and quasi-frequency modulation discrimination by reducing stimulus duration
Publication date: Available online 8 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Ewa Borucki, Bruce G. Berg
This study investigated the psychophysical effects of distortion products in a listening task traditionally used to estimate the bandwidth of phase sensitivity. For a 2000 Hz carrier, estimates of modulation depth necessary to discriminate amplitude modulated (AM) tones and quasi-frequency modulated (QFM) were measured in a two interval forced choice task as a function modulation frequency. Temporal modulation transfer functions were often non-monotonic at modulation frequencies above 300 Hz. This was likely to be due to a spectral cue arising from the interaction of auditory distortion products and the lower sideband of the stimulus complex. When the stimulus duration was decreased from 200 ms to 20 ms, thresholds for low-frequency modulators rose to near-chance levels, whereas thresholds in the region of non-monotonicities were less affected. The decrease in stimulus duration appears to hinder the listener's ability to use temporal cues in order to discriminate between AM and QFM, whereas spectral information derived from distortion product cues appears more resilient.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2m78pSj
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Ewa Borucki, Bruce G. Berg
This study investigated the psychophysical effects of distortion products in a listening task traditionally used to estimate the bandwidth of phase sensitivity. For a 2000 Hz carrier, estimates of modulation depth necessary to discriminate amplitude modulated (AM) tones and quasi-frequency modulated (QFM) were measured in a two interval forced choice task as a function modulation frequency. Temporal modulation transfer functions were often non-monotonic at modulation frequencies above 300 Hz. This was likely to be due to a spectral cue arising from the interaction of auditory distortion products and the lower sideband of the stimulus complex. When the stimulus duration was decreased from 200 ms to 20 ms, thresholds for low-frequency modulators rose to near-chance levels, whereas thresholds in the region of non-monotonicities were less affected. The decrease in stimulus duration appears to hinder the listener's ability to use temporal cues in order to discriminate between AM and QFM, whereas spectral information derived from distortion product cues appears more resilient.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2m78pSj
via IFTTT
The auditory evoked-gamma response and its relation with the N1m
Publication date: Available online 22 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Caroline Witton, Mark A. Eckert, Ian M. Stanford, Lauren E. Gascoyne, Paul L. Furlong, Siân F. Worthen, Arjan Hillebrand
This study explored the patterns of oscillatory activity that underpin the N1m auditory evoked response. Evoked gamma activity is a small and relatively rarely-reported component of the auditory evoked response, and the objective of this work was to determine how this component relates to the larger and more prolonged changes in lower frequency bands. An event-related beamformer analysis of MEG data from monaural click stimulation was used to reconstruct volumetric images and virtual electrode time series. Group analysis of localisations showed that activity in the gamma band originated from a source that was more medial than those for activity in the theta-to-beta band, and virtual-electrode analysis showed that the source of the gamma activity could be statistically dissociated from the lower-frequency response.These findings are in accordance with separate functional roles for the activity in each frequency band, and provide evidence that the oscillatory activity that underpins the auditory evoked response may contain important information about the physiological basis of the macroscopic signals recorded by MEG in response to auditory stimulation.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mdQRnS
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Caroline Witton, Mark A. Eckert, Ian M. Stanford, Lauren E. Gascoyne, Paul L. Furlong, Siân F. Worthen, Arjan Hillebrand
This study explored the patterns of oscillatory activity that underpin the N1m auditory evoked response. Evoked gamma activity is a small and relatively rarely-reported component of the auditory evoked response, and the objective of this work was to determine how this component relates to the larger and more prolonged changes in lower frequency bands. An event-related beamformer analysis of MEG data from monaural click stimulation was used to reconstruct volumetric images and virtual electrode time series. Group analysis of localisations showed that activity in the gamma band originated from a source that was more medial than those for activity in the theta-to-beta band, and virtual-electrode analysis showed that the source of the gamma activity could be statistically dissociated from the lower-frequency response.These findings are in accordance with separate functional roles for the activity in each frequency band, and provide evidence that the oscillatory activity that underpins the auditory evoked response may contain important information about the physiological basis of the macroscopic signals recorded by MEG in response to auditory stimulation.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mdQRnS
via IFTTT
The gap-prepulse inhibition deficit of the cortical N1-P2 complex in patients with tinnitus: The effect of gap duration
Publication date: Available online 7 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Yunseo Ku, Joong woo Ahn, Chiheon Kwon, Do Youn Kim, Myung-Whan Suh, Moo Kyun Park, Jun Ho Lee, Seung Ha Oh, Hee Chan Kim
The present study aimed to investigate whether gap-prepulse inhibition (GPI) deficit in patients with tinnitus occurred in the N1-P2 complex of the cortical auditory evoked potential. Auditory late responses to the intense sound of the GPI paradigm were obtained from 16 patients with tinnitus and 18 age- and hearing loss-matched controls without tinnitus. The inhibition degrees of the N1-P2 complex were assessed at 100-, 50-, and 20-ms gap durations with tinnitus-pitch-matched and non-matched frequency background noises. At the 20-ms gap condition with the tinnitus-pitch-matched frequency background noise, only the tinnitus group showed an inhibition deficit of the N1-P2 complex. The inhibition deficits were absent in both groups with longer gap durations. These findings suggested that the effect of tinnitus emerged depending on the cue onset timing and duration of the gap-prepulse. Since inhibition deficits were observed in both groups at the same 20-ms gap condition, but with the tinnitus-pitch-non-matched frequency background noise, the present study did not offer proof of concept for tinnitus filling in the gap. Additional studies on the intrinsic effects of different background frequencies on the gap processing are required in the future.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mC3pIl
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Yunseo Ku, Joong woo Ahn, Chiheon Kwon, Do Youn Kim, Myung-Whan Suh, Moo Kyun Park, Jun Ho Lee, Seung Ha Oh, Hee Chan Kim
The present study aimed to investigate whether gap-prepulse inhibition (GPI) deficit in patients with tinnitus occurred in the N1-P2 complex of the cortical auditory evoked potential. Auditory late responses to the intense sound of the GPI paradigm were obtained from 16 patients with tinnitus and 18 age- and hearing loss-matched controls without tinnitus. The inhibition degrees of the N1-P2 complex were assessed at 100-, 50-, and 20-ms gap durations with tinnitus-pitch-matched and non-matched frequency background noises. At the 20-ms gap condition with the tinnitus-pitch-matched frequency background noise, only the tinnitus group showed an inhibition deficit of the N1-P2 complex. The inhibition deficits were absent in both groups with longer gap durations. These findings suggested that the effect of tinnitus emerged depending on the cue onset timing and duration of the gap-prepulse. Since inhibition deficits were observed in both groups at the same 20-ms gap condition, but with the tinnitus-pitch-non-matched frequency background noise, the present study did not offer proof of concept for tinnitus filling in the gap. Additional studies on the intrinsic effects of different background frequencies on the gap processing are required in the future.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mC3pIl
via IFTTT
Pitch ranking with different virtual channel configurations in electrical hearing
Publication date: Available online 17 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Monica Padilla, Natalia Stupak, David M. Landsberger
Monopolar Virtual Channels (MPVCs) use current steering to increase the number of spectral channels provided to cochlear implant users beyond the physical number of electrodes. The current spread created with a current steered channel is similar to the spread found for monopolar stimulation, and this spread may be one of the bottlenecks for improved performance with an increased number of channels. Quadrupolar Virtual Channels (QPVCs) use current focusing in combination with steering in an attempt to increase the number of channels while reducing channel interaction. However, due to the potentially asymmetric current field generated by QPVCs, there may be distortions in the place pitch representation using this mode. A Virtual Tripole (VTP) is introduced as a current focused virtual channel with a relatively symmetrical electric field distribution. In this study, we looked at pitch ranking in cochlear implant users with QPVC, VTP, and MPVC configurations to determine if place pitch shifts similarly across the cochlea or if any of the stimulation modes shift non-monotonically. Results suggest that MPVC and VTP stimulation provide a consistent monotonic shift across cochlear positions while the place shift provided by QPVCs was more variable. The use of VTP stimulation would be recommended instead of QPVC for a speech processing strategy.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2m518Si
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Monica Padilla, Natalia Stupak, David M. Landsberger
Monopolar Virtual Channels (MPVCs) use current steering to increase the number of spectral channels provided to cochlear implant users beyond the physical number of electrodes. The current spread created with a current steered channel is similar to the spread found for monopolar stimulation, and this spread may be one of the bottlenecks for improved performance with an increased number of channels. Quadrupolar Virtual Channels (QPVCs) use current focusing in combination with steering in an attempt to increase the number of channels while reducing channel interaction. However, due to the potentially asymmetric current field generated by QPVCs, there may be distortions in the place pitch representation using this mode. A Virtual Tripole (VTP) is introduced as a current focused virtual channel with a relatively symmetrical electric field distribution. In this study, we looked at pitch ranking in cochlear implant users with QPVC, VTP, and MPVC configurations to determine if place pitch shifts similarly across the cochlea or if any of the stimulation modes shift non-monotonically. Results suggest that MPVC and VTP stimulation provide a consistent monotonic shift across cochlear positions while the place shift provided by QPVCs was more variable. The use of VTP stimulation would be recommended instead of QPVC for a speech processing strategy.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2m518Si
via IFTTT
Tinnitus and hyperacusis: Contributions of paraflocculus, reticular formation and stress
Publication date: Available online 7 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Yu-Chen Chen, Guang-Di Chen, Benjamin D. Auerbach, Senthilvelan Manohar, Kelly Radziwon, Richard Salvi
Tinnitus and hyperacusis are common and potentially serious hearing disorders associated with noise-, age- or drug-induced hearing loss. Accumulating evidence suggests that tinnitus and hyperacusis are linked to excessive neural activity in a distributed brain network that not only includes the central auditory pathway, but also brain regions involved in arousal, emotion, stress and motor control. Here we examine electrophysiological changes in two novel non-auditory areas implicated in tinnitus and hyperacusis: the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC), involved in arousal, and the paraflocculus lobe of the cerebellum (PFL), implicated in head-eye coordination and gating tinnitus and we measure the changes in corticosterone stress hormone levels. Using the salicylate-induced model of tinnitus and hyperacusis, we found that long-latency (>10 ms) sound-evoked response components in both the brain regions were significantly enhanced after salicylate administration, while the short-latency responses were reduced, likely reflecting cochlear hearing loss. These results are consistent with the central gain model of tinnitus and hyperacusis, which proposes that these disorders arise from the amplification of neural activity in central auditory pathway plus other regions linked to arousal, emotion, tinnitus gating and motor control. Finally, we demonstrate that salicylate results in an increase in corticosterone level in a dose-dependent manner consistent with the notion that stress may interact with hearing loss in tinnitus and hyperacusis development. This increased stress response has the potential to have wide-ranging effects on the central nervous system and may therefore contribute to brain-wide changes in neural activity.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mC9Xqy
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Yu-Chen Chen, Guang-Di Chen, Benjamin D. Auerbach, Senthilvelan Manohar, Kelly Radziwon, Richard Salvi
Tinnitus and hyperacusis are common and potentially serious hearing disorders associated with noise-, age- or drug-induced hearing loss. Accumulating evidence suggests that tinnitus and hyperacusis are linked to excessive neural activity in a distributed brain network that not only includes the central auditory pathway, but also brain regions involved in arousal, emotion, stress and motor control. Here we examine electrophysiological changes in two novel non-auditory areas implicated in tinnitus and hyperacusis: the caudal pontine reticular nucleus (PnC), involved in arousal, and the paraflocculus lobe of the cerebellum (PFL), implicated in head-eye coordination and gating tinnitus and we measure the changes in corticosterone stress hormone levels. Using the salicylate-induced model of tinnitus and hyperacusis, we found that long-latency (>10 ms) sound-evoked response components in both the brain regions were significantly enhanced after salicylate administration, while the short-latency responses were reduced, likely reflecting cochlear hearing loss. These results are consistent with the central gain model of tinnitus and hyperacusis, which proposes that these disorders arise from the amplification of neural activity in central auditory pathway plus other regions linked to arousal, emotion, tinnitus gating and motor control. Finally, we demonstrate that salicylate results in an increase in corticosterone level in a dose-dependent manner consistent with the notion that stress may interact with hearing loss in tinnitus and hyperacusis development. This increased stress response has the potential to have wide-ranging effects on the central nervous system and may therefore contribute to brain-wide changes in neural activity.
Graphical abstract
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mC9Xqy
via IFTTT
Auditory perceptual load: A review
Publication date: Available online 8 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Sandra Murphy, Charles Spence, Polly Dalton
Selective attention is a crucial mechanism in everyday life, allowing us to focus on a portion of incoming sensory information at the expense of other less relevant stimuli. The circumstances under which irrelevant stimuli are successfully ignored have been a topic of scientific interest for several decades now. Over the last 20 years, the perceptual load theory (e.g. Lavie, 1995) has provided one robust framework for understanding these effects within the visual modality. The suggestion is that successful selection depends on the perceptual demands imposed by the task-relevant information. However, less research has addressed the question of whether the same principles hold in audition and, to date, the existing literature provides a mixed picture. Here, we review the evidence for and against the applicability of perceptual load theory in hearing, concluding that this question still awaits resolution.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kU41bu
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Sandra Murphy, Charles Spence, Polly Dalton
Selective attention is a crucial mechanism in everyday life, allowing us to focus on a portion of incoming sensory information at the expense of other less relevant stimuli. The circumstances under which irrelevant stimuli are successfully ignored have been a topic of scientific interest for several decades now. Over the last 20 years, the perceptual load theory (e.g. Lavie, 1995) has provided one robust framework for understanding these effects within the visual modality. The suggestion is that successful selection depends on the perceptual demands imposed by the task-relevant information. However, less research has addressed the question of whether the same principles hold in audition and, to date, the existing literature provides a mixed picture. Here, we review the evidence for and against the applicability of perceptual load theory in hearing, concluding that this question still awaits resolution.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kU41bu
via IFTTT
Laser-capture micro dissection combined with next-generation sequencing analysis of cell type-specific deafness gene expression in the mouse cochlea
Publication date: Available online 3 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Shin-ya Nishio, Yutaka Takumi, Shin-ichi Usami
Cochlear implantation (CI), which directly stimulates the cochlear nerves, is the most effective and widely used medical intervention for patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. The etiology of the hearing loss is speculated to have a major influence of CI outcomes, particularly in cases resulting from mutations in genes preferentially expressed in the spiral ganglion region.To elucidate precise gene expression levels in each part of the cochlea, we performed laser-capture micro dissection in combination with next-generation sequencing analysis and determined the expression levels of all known deafness-associated genes in the organ of Corti, spiral ganglion, lateral wall, and spiral limbs. The results were generally consistent with previous reports based on immunocytochemistry or in situ hybridization. As a notable result, the genes associated with many kinds of syndromic hearing loss (such as Clpp, Hars2, Hsd17b4, Lars2 for Perrault syndrome, Polr1c and Polr1d for Treacher Collins syndrome, Ndp for Norrie Disease, Kal for Kallmann syndrome, Edn3 and Snai2 for Waardenburg Syndrome, Col4a3 for Alport syndrome, Sema3e for CHARGE syndrome, Col9a1 for Sticker syndrome, Cdh23, Cib2, Clrn1, Pcdh15, Ush1c, Ush2a, Whrn for Usher syndrome and Wfs1 for Wolfram syndrome) showed higher levels of expression in the spiral ganglion than in other parts of the cochlea.This dataset will provide a base for more detailed analysis in order to clarify gene functions in the cochlea as well as predict CI outcomes based on gene expression data.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2lGssXh
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Shin-ya Nishio, Yutaka Takumi, Shin-ichi Usami
Cochlear implantation (CI), which directly stimulates the cochlear nerves, is the most effective and widely used medical intervention for patients with severe to profound sensorineural hearing loss. The etiology of the hearing loss is speculated to have a major influence of CI outcomes, particularly in cases resulting from mutations in genes preferentially expressed in the spiral ganglion region.To elucidate precise gene expression levels in each part of the cochlea, we performed laser-capture micro dissection in combination with next-generation sequencing analysis and determined the expression levels of all known deafness-associated genes in the organ of Corti, spiral ganglion, lateral wall, and spiral limbs. The results were generally consistent with previous reports based on immunocytochemistry or in situ hybridization. As a notable result, the genes associated with many kinds of syndromic hearing loss (such as Clpp, Hars2, Hsd17b4, Lars2 for Perrault syndrome, Polr1c and Polr1d for Treacher Collins syndrome, Ndp for Norrie Disease, Kal for Kallmann syndrome, Edn3 and Snai2 for Waardenburg Syndrome, Col4a3 for Alport syndrome, Sema3e for CHARGE syndrome, Col9a1 for Sticker syndrome, Cdh23, Cib2, Clrn1, Pcdh15, Ush1c, Ush2a, Whrn for Usher syndrome and Wfs1 for Wolfram syndrome) showed higher levels of expression in the spiral ganglion than in other parts of the cochlea.This dataset will provide a base for more detailed analysis in order to clarify gene functions in the cochlea as well as predict CI outcomes based on gene expression data.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2lGssXh
via IFTTT
Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services EHDI-PALS: Building a National Facility Database.
Objectives: To create a searchable web-based national audiology facility directory using a standardized survey, so parents and providers could identify which facilities had capacity to provide appropriate services based on child's age. Design: An Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services expert panel was convened to create a survey to collect audiology facility information. Professional practice documents were reviewed, a survey was designed to collect pertinent test protocols of each audiology facility, and a standard of care template was created to cross-check survey answers. Audiology facility information across the United States was collected and compiled into a directory structured and displayed in an interactive website, ehdipals.org. Results: Since November 7, 2012, to May 21, 2016, over 1000 facilities have completed the survey and become listed in the Early Hearing Detection and Intervention-Pediatric Audiology Links to Services directory. The site has registered 10,759 unique visitors, 151,981 page views, and 9134 unique searches from consumers. User feedback has been positive overall. Conclusion: A searchable, web-based facility directory has proven useful to consumers as a tool to help them differentiate whether a facility was set up to test newborns versus young children. Use of a preprogrammed standard of practice template to cross-check survey answers was also shown to be a practical aid. Copyright (C) 2017 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2ny6TtJ
via IFTTT
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2ny6TtJ
via IFTTT
Consequences of Early Conductive Hearing Loss on Long-Term Binaural Processing.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to investigate the long-term effects of early conductive hearing loss on binaural processing in school-age children. Design: One hundred and eighteen children participated in the study, 82 children with a documented history of conductive hearing loss associated with otitis media and 36 controls who had documented histories showing no evidence of otitis media or conductive hearing loss. All children were demonstrated to have normal-hearing acuity and middle ear function at the time of assessment. The Listening in Spatialized Noise Sentence (LiSN-S) task and the masking level difference (MLD) task were used as the two different measures of binaural interaction ability. Results: Children with a history of conductive hearing loss performed significantly poorer than controls on all LiSN-S conditions relying on binaural cues (DV90, p =
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mRFl5r
via IFTTT
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mRFl5r
via IFTTT
Indexing cortical entrainment to natural speech at the phonemic level: Methodological considerations for applied research
Publication date: Available online 27 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Giovanni M. Di Liberto, Edmund C. Lalor
Speech is central to human life. As such, any delay or impairment in receptive speech processing can have a profoundly negative impact on the social and professional life of a person. Thus, being able to assess the integrity of speech processing in different populations is an important goal. Current standardized assessment is mostly based on psychometric measures that do not capture the full extent of a person's speech processing abilities and that are difficult to administer in some subjects groups. A potential alternative to these tests would be to derive “direct”, objective measures of speech processing from cortical activity. One such approach was recently introduced and showed that it is possible to use electroencephalography (EEG) to index cortical processing at the level of phonemes from responses to continuous natural speech. However, a large amount of data was required for such analyses. This limits the usefulness of this approach for assessing speech processing in particular cohorts for whom data collection is difficult. Here, we used EEG data from 10 subjects to assess whether measures reflecting phoneme-level processing could be reliably obtained using only 10 min of recording time from each subject. This was done successfully using a generic modeling approach wherein the data from a training group composed of 9 subjects were combined to derive robust predictions of the EEG signal for new subjects. This allowed the derivation of indices of cortical activity at the level of phonemes and the disambiguation of responses to specific phonetic features (e.g., stop, plosive, and nasal consonants) with limited data. This objective approach has the potential to complement psychometric measures of speech processing in a wide variety of subjects.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2lQwayD
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Giovanni M. Di Liberto, Edmund C. Lalor
Speech is central to human life. As such, any delay or impairment in receptive speech processing can have a profoundly negative impact on the social and professional life of a person. Thus, being able to assess the integrity of speech processing in different populations is an important goal. Current standardized assessment is mostly based on psychometric measures that do not capture the full extent of a person's speech processing abilities and that are difficult to administer in some subjects groups. A potential alternative to these tests would be to derive “direct”, objective measures of speech processing from cortical activity. One such approach was recently introduced and showed that it is possible to use electroencephalography (EEG) to index cortical processing at the level of phonemes from responses to continuous natural speech. However, a large amount of data was required for such analyses. This limits the usefulness of this approach for assessing speech processing in particular cohorts for whom data collection is difficult. Here, we used EEG data from 10 subjects to assess whether measures reflecting phoneme-level processing could be reliably obtained using only 10 min of recording time from each subject. This was done successfully using a generic modeling approach wherein the data from a training group composed of 9 subjects were combined to derive robust predictions of the EEG signal for new subjects. This allowed the derivation of indices of cortical activity at the level of phonemes and the disambiguation of responses to specific phonetic features (e.g., stop, plosive, and nasal consonants) with limited data. This objective approach has the potential to complement psychometric measures of speech processing in a wide variety of subjects.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2lQwayD
via IFTTT
Speech-in-noise perception in musicians: A review
Publication date: Available online 14 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Emily B.J. Coffey, Nicolette B. Mogilever, Robert J. Zatorre
The ability to understand speech in the presence of competing sound sources is an important neuroscience question in terms of how the nervous system solves this computational problem. It is also a critical clinical problem that disproportionally affects the elderly, children with language-related learning disorders, and those with hearing loss. Recent evidence that musicians have an advantage on this multifaceted skill has led to the suggestion that musical training might be used to improve or delay the decline of speech-in-noise (SIN) function. However, enhancements have not been universally reported, nor have the relative contributions of different bottom-up versus top-down processes, and their relation to preexisting factors been disentangled. This information that would be helpful to establish whether there is a real effect of experience, what exactly is its nature, and how future training-based interventions might target the most relevant components of cognitive processes. These questions are complicated by important differences in study design and uneven coverage of neuroimaging modality. In this review, we aim to systematize recent results from studies that have specifically looked at musician-related differences in SIN by their study design properties, to summarize the findings, and to identify knowledge gaps for future work.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kHwmia
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Emily B.J. Coffey, Nicolette B. Mogilever, Robert J. Zatorre
The ability to understand speech in the presence of competing sound sources is an important neuroscience question in terms of how the nervous system solves this computational problem. It is also a critical clinical problem that disproportionally affects the elderly, children with language-related learning disorders, and those with hearing loss. Recent evidence that musicians have an advantage on this multifaceted skill has led to the suggestion that musical training might be used to improve or delay the decline of speech-in-noise (SIN) function. However, enhancements have not been universally reported, nor have the relative contributions of different bottom-up versus top-down processes, and their relation to preexisting factors been disentangled. This information that would be helpful to establish whether there is a real effect of experience, what exactly is its nature, and how future training-based interventions might target the most relevant components of cognitive processes. These questions are complicated by important differences in study design and uneven coverage of neuroimaging modality. In this review, we aim to systematize recent results from studies that have specifically looked at musician-related differences in SIN by their study design properties, to summarize the findings, and to identify knowledge gaps for future work.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2kHwmia
via IFTTT
Modulation of auditory percepts by transcutaneous electrical stimulation
Publication date: Available online 18 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Margarete Anna Ueberfuhr, Amalia Braun, Lutz Wiegrebe, Benedikt Grothe, Markus Drexl
Transcutaneous, electrical stimulation with electrodes placed on the mastoid processes represents a specific way to elicit vestibular reflexes in humans without active or passive subject movements, for which the term galvanic vestibular stimulation was coined. It has been suggested that galvanic vestibular stimulation mainly affects the vestibular periphery, but whether vestibular hair cells, vestibular afferents, or a combination of both are excited, is still a matter of debate. Galvanic vestibular stimulation has been in use since the late 18th century, but despite the long-known and well-documented effects on the vestibular system, reports of the effect of electrical stimulation on the adjacent cochlea or the ascending auditory pathway are surprisingly sparse.The present study examines the effect of transcutaneous, electrical stimulation of the human auditory periphery employing evoked and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and several psychoacoustic measures. In particular, level growth functions of distortion product otoacoustic emissions were recorded during electrical stimulation with alternating currents (2 Hz, 1 – 4 mA in 1 mA-steps). In addition, the level and frequency of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions were followed before, during, and after electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 1 – 4 mA). To explore the effect of electrical stimulation on the retrocochlear level (i.e. on the ascending auditory pathway beyond the cochlea), psychoacoustic experiments were carried out. Specifically, participants indicated whether electrical stimulation (4 Hz, 2 and 3 mA) induced amplitude modulations of the perception of a pure tone, and of auditory illusions after presentation of either an intense, low-frequency sound (Bounce tinnitus) or a faint band-stop noise (Zwicker tone).These three psychoacoustic measures revealed significant perceived amplitude modulations during electrical stimulation in the majority of participants. However, no significant changes of evoked and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions could be detected during electrical stimulation relative to recordings without electrical stimulation.The present findings show that cochlear function, as assessed with spontaneous and evoked otoacoustic emissions, is not affected by transcutaneous electrical stimulation, at the currents used in this study. Psychoacoustic measures like pure tone perception, but also auditory illusions, are affected by electrical stimulation. This indicates that activity of the retrocochlear ascending auditory pathway is modulated during transcutaneous electrical stimulation.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mpddGJ
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Margarete Anna Ueberfuhr, Amalia Braun, Lutz Wiegrebe, Benedikt Grothe, Markus Drexl
Transcutaneous, electrical stimulation with electrodes placed on the mastoid processes represents a specific way to elicit vestibular reflexes in humans without active or passive subject movements, for which the term galvanic vestibular stimulation was coined. It has been suggested that galvanic vestibular stimulation mainly affects the vestibular periphery, but whether vestibular hair cells, vestibular afferents, or a combination of both are excited, is still a matter of debate. Galvanic vestibular stimulation has been in use since the late 18th century, but despite the long-known and well-documented effects on the vestibular system, reports of the effect of electrical stimulation on the adjacent cochlea or the ascending auditory pathway are surprisingly sparse.The present study examines the effect of transcutaneous, electrical stimulation of the human auditory periphery employing evoked and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions and several psychoacoustic measures. In particular, level growth functions of distortion product otoacoustic emissions were recorded during electrical stimulation with alternating currents (2 Hz, 1 – 4 mA in 1 mA-steps). In addition, the level and frequency of spontaneous otoacoustic emissions were followed before, during, and after electrical stimulation (2 Hz, 1 – 4 mA). To explore the effect of electrical stimulation on the retrocochlear level (i.e. on the ascending auditory pathway beyond the cochlea), psychoacoustic experiments were carried out. Specifically, participants indicated whether electrical stimulation (4 Hz, 2 and 3 mA) induced amplitude modulations of the perception of a pure tone, and of auditory illusions after presentation of either an intense, low-frequency sound (Bounce tinnitus) or a faint band-stop noise (Zwicker tone).These three psychoacoustic measures revealed significant perceived amplitude modulations during electrical stimulation in the majority of participants. However, no significant changes of evoked and spontaneous otoacoustic emissions could be detected during electrical stimulation relative to recordings without electrical stimulation.The present findings show that cochlear function, as assessed with spontaneous and evoked otoacoustic emissions, is not affected by transcutaneous electrical stimulation, at the currents used in this study. Psychoacoustic measures like pure tone perception, but also auditory illusions, are affected by electrical stimulation. This indicates that activity of the retrocochlear ascending auditory pathway is modulated during transcutaneous electrical stimulation.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mpddGJ
via IFTTT
The pattern and degree of capsular fibrous sheaths surrounding cochlear electrode arrays
Publication date: Available online 17 February 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Reuven Ishai, Barbara S. Herrmann, Joseph B. Nadol, Alicia M. Quesnel
An inflammatory tissue reaction around the electrode array of a cochlear implant (CI) is common, in particular at the electrode insertion region (cochleostomy) where mechanical trauma often occurs. However, the factors determining the amount and causes of fibrous reaction surrounding the stimulating electrode, especially medially near the perimodiolar location, are unclear. Temporal bone (TB) specimens from patients who had undergone cochlear implantation during life with either Advanced Bionics (AB) Clarion ™ or HiRes90K™ (Sylmar, CA, USA) devices that have a half-band and a pre-curved electrode, or Cochlear ™ Nucleus (Sydney, Australia) device that have a full-band and a straight electrode were evaluated. The thickness of the fibrous tissue surrounding the electrode array of both types of CI devices at both the lower (LB) and upper (UB) basal turns of the cochlea was quantified at three locations: the medial, inferior, and superior aspects of the sheath. Fracture of the osseous spiral lamina and/or marked displacement of the basilar membrane were interpreted as evidence of intracochlear trauma. In addition, post-operative word recognition scores, duration of implantation, and post-operative programming data were evaluated.Seven TBs from six patients implanted with AB devices and five TBs from five patients implanted with Nucleus devices were included. A fibrous capsule around the stimulating electrode array was present in all twelve specimens. TBs implanted with AB device had a significantly thicker fibrous capsule at the medial aspect than at the inferior or superior aspects at both locations (LB and UB) of the cochlea (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, p < 0.01). TBs implanted with a Nucleus device had no difference in the thickness of the fibrous capsule surrounding the track of the electrode array (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, p > 0.05). Nine of fourteen (64%) basal turns of the cochlea (LB and UB of seven TBs) implanted with AB devices demonstrated intracochlear trauma compared to two of ten (20%) basal turns of the cochlea (LB and UB of five TBs) with Nucleus devices, (Fisher exact test, p < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the thickness of the fibrous tissue and the duration of implantation or the word recognition scores (Spearman rho, p = 0.06, p = 0.4 respectively). Our outcomes demonstrated the development of a robust fibrous tissue sheath medially closest to the site of electric stimulation in cases implanted with the AB device electrode, but not in cases implanted with the Nucleus device. The cause of the asymmetric fibrous sheath may be multifactorial including insertional trauma, a foreign body response, and/or asymmetric current flow.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2l3l4aA
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Reuven Ishai, Barbara S. Herrmann, Joseph B. Nadol, Alicia M. Quesnel
An inflammatory tissue reaction around the electrode array of a cochlear implant (CI) is common, in particular at the electrode insertion region (cochleostomy) where mechanical trauma often occurs. However, the factors determining the amount and causes of fibrous reaction surrounding the stimulating electrode, especially medially near the perimodiolar location, are unclear. Temporal bone (TB) specimens from patients who had undergone cochlear implantation during life with either Advanced Bionics (AB) Clarion ™ or HiRes90K™ (Sylmar, CA, USA) devices that have a half-band and a pre-curved electrode, or Cochlear ™ Nucleus (Sydney, Australia) device that have a full-band and a straight electrode were evaluated. The thickness of the fibrous tissue surrounding the electrode array of both types of CI devices at both the lower (LB) and upper (UB) basal turns of the cochlea was quantified at three locations: the medial, inferior, and superior aspects of the sheath. Fracture of the osseous spiral lamina and/or marked displacement of the basilar membrane were interpreted as evidence of intracochlear trauma. In addition, post-operative word recognition scores, duration of implantation, and post-operative programming data were evaluated.Seven TBs from six patients implanted with AB devices and five TBs from five patients implanted with Nucleus devices were included. A fibrous capsule around the stimulating electrode array was present in all twelve specimens. TBs implanted with AB device had a significantly thicker fibrous capsule at the medial aspect than at the inferior or superior aspects at both locations (LB and UB) of the cochlea (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, p < 0.01). TBs implanted with a Nucleus device had no difference in the thickness of the fibrous capsule surrounding the track of the electrode array (Wilcoxon signed-ranks test, p > 0.05). Nine of fourteen (64%) basal turns of the cochlea (LB and UB of seven TBs) implanted with AB devices demonstrated intracochlear trauma compared to two of ten (20%) basal turns of the cochlea (LB and UB of five TBs) with Nucleus devices, (Fisher exact test, p < 0.05). There was no significant correlation between the thickness of the fibrous tissue and the duration of implantation or the word recognition scores (Spearman rho, p = 0.06, p = 0.4 respectively). Our outcomes demonstrated the development of a robust fibrous tissue sheath medially closest to the site of electric stimulation in cases implanted with the AB device electrode, but not in cases implanted with the Nucleus device. The cause of the asymmetric fibrous sheath may be multifactorial including insertional trauma, a foreign body response, and/or asymmetric current flow.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2l3l4aA
via IFTTT
Comparison of perceptual properties of auditory streaming between spectral and amplitude modulation domains
Publication date: Available online 18 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Shimpei Yamagishi, Sho Otsuka, Shigeto Furukawa, Makio Kashino
The two-tone sequence (ABA_), which comprises two different sounds (A and B) and a silent gap, has been used to investigate how the auditory system organizes sequential sounds depending on various stimulus conditions or brain states. Auditory streaming can be evoked by differences not only in the tone frequency (“spectral cue”: ΔFTONE, TONE condition) but also in the amplitude modulation rate (“AM cue”: ΔFAM, AM condition). The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between the perceptual properties of auditory streaming for the TONE and AM conditions. A sequence with a long duration (400 repetitions of ABA_) was used to examine the property of the bistability of streaming. The ratio of feature differences that evoked an equivalent probability of the segregated percept was close to the ratio of the Q-values of the auditory and modulation filters, consistent with a “channeling theory” of auditory streaming. On the other hand, for values of ΔFAM and ΔFTONE evoking equal probabilities of the segregated percept, the number of perceptual switches was larger for the TONE condition than for the AM condition, indicating that the mechanism(s) that determine the bistability of auditory streaming are different between or sensitive to the two domains. Nevertheless, the number of switches for individual listeners was positively correlated between the spectral and AM domains. The results suggest a possibility that the neural substrates for spectral and AM processes share a common switching mechanism but differ in location and/or in the properties of neural activity or the strength of internal noise at each level.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nGA4xC
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Shimpei Yamagishi, Sho Otsuka, Shigeto Furukawa, Makio Kashino
The two-tone sequence (ABA_), which comprises two different sounds (A and B) and a silent gap, has been used to investigate how the auditory system organizes sequential sounds depending on various stimulus conditions or brain states. Auditory streaming can be evoked by differences not only in the tone frequency (“spectral cue”: ΔFTONE, TONE condition) but also in the amplitude modulation rate (“AM cue”: ΔFAM, AM condition). The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between the perceptual properties of auditory streaming for the TONE and AM conditions. A sequence with a long duration (400 repetitions of ABA_) was used to examine the property of the bistability of streaming. The ratio of feature differences that evoked an equivalent probability of the segregated percept was close to the ratio of the Q-values of the auditory and modulation filters, consistent with a “channeling theory” of auditory streaming. On the other hand, for values of ΔFAM and ΔFTONE evoking equal probabilities of the segregated percept, the number of perceptual switches was larger for the TONE condition than for the AM condition, indicating that the mechanism(s) that determine the bistability of auditory streaming are different between or sensitive to the two domains. Nevertheless, the number of switches for individual listeners was positively correlated between the spectral and AM domains. The results suggest a possibility that the neural substrates for spectral and AM processes share a common switching mechanism but differ in location and/or in the properties of neural activity or the strength of internal noise at each level.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2nGA4xC
via IFTTT
Speech intelligibility and subjective benefit in single-sided deaf adults after cochlear implantation
Publication date: Available online 10 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Mareike Finke, Angelika Strauß-Schier, Eugen Kludt, Andreas Büchner, Angelika Illg
Treatment with cochlear implants (CIs) in single-sided deaf individuals started less than a decade ago. CIs can successfully reduce incapacitating tinnitus on the deaf ear and allow, so some extent, the restoration of binaural hearing. Until now, systematic evaluations of subjective CI benefit in post-lingually single-sided deaf individuals and analyses of speech intelligibility outcome for the CI in isolation have been lacking.For the prospective part of this study, the Bern Benefit in Single-Sided Deafness Questionnaire (BBSS) was administered to 48 single-sided deaf CI users to evaluate the subjectively perceived CI benefit across different listening situations. In the retrospective part, speech intelligibility outcome with the CI up to 12 month post-activation was compared between 100 single-sided deaf CI users and 125 bilaterally implanted CI users (2nd implant).The positive median ratings in the BBSS differed significantly from zero for all items suggesting that most individuals with single-sided deafness rate their CI as beneficial across listening situations. The speech perception scores in quiet and noise improved significantly over time in both groups of CI users. Speech intelligibility with the CI in isolation was significantly better in bilaterally implanted CI users (2nd implant) compared to the scores obtained from single-sided deaf CI users.Our results indicate that CI users with single-sided deafness can reach open set speech understanding with their CI in isolation, encouraging the extension of the CI indication to individuals with normal hearing on the contralateral ear. Compared to the performance reached with bilateral CI users’ second implant, speech reception threshold are lower, indicating an aural preference and dominance of the normal hearing ear. The results from the BBSS propose good satisfaction with the CI across several listening situations.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mQv8FK
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Mareike Finke, Angelika Strauß-Schier, Eugen Kludt, Andreas Büchner, Angelika Illg
Treatment with cochlear implants (CIs) in single-sided deaf individuals started less than a decade ago. CIs can successfully reduce incapacitating tinnitus on the deaf ear and allow, so some extent, the restoration of binaural hearing. Until now, systematic evaluations of subjective CI benefit in post-lingually single-sided deaf individuals and analyses of speech intelligibility outcome for the CI in isolation have been lacking.For the prospective part of this study, the Bern Benefit in Single-Sided Deafness Questionnaire (BBSS) was administered to 48 single-sided deaf CI users to evaluate the subjectively perceived CI benefit across different listening situations. In the retrospective part, speech intelligibility outcome with the CI up to 12 month post-activation was compared between 100 single-sided deaf CI users and 125 bilaterally implanted CI users (2nd implant).The positive median ratings in the BBSS differed significantly from zero for all items suggesting that most individuals with single-sided deafness rate their CI as beneficial across listening situations. The speech perception scores in quiet and noise improved significantly over time in both groups of CI users. Speech intelligibility with the CI in isolation was significantly better in bilaterally implanted CI users (2nd implant) compared to the scores obtained from single-sided deaf CI users.Our results indicate that CI users with single-sided deafness can reach open set speech understanding with their CI in isolation, encouraging the extension of the CI indication to individuals with normal hearing on the contralateral ear. Compared to the performance reached with bilateral CI users’ second implant, speech reception threshold are lower, indicating an aural preference and dominance of the normal hearing ear. The results from the BBSS propose good satisfaction with the CI across several listening situations.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mQv8FK
via IFTTT
Contributions of sensory tuning to auditory-vocal interactions in marmoset auditory cortex
Publication date: Available online 9 March 2017
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Steven J. Eliades, Xiaoqin Wang
During speech, humans continuously listen to their own vocal output to ensure accurate communication. Such self-monitoring is thought to require the integration of information about the feedback of vocal acoustics with internal motor control signals. The neural mechanism of this auditory-vocal interaction remains largely unknown at the cellular level. Previous studies in naturally vocalizing marmosets have demonstrated diverse neural activities in auditory cortex during vocalization, dominated by a vocalization-induced suppression of neural firing. How underlying auditory tuning properties of these neurons might contribute to this sensory-motor processing is unknown. In the present study, we quantitatively compared marmoset auditory cortex neural activities during vocal production with those during passive listening. We found that neurons excited during vocalization were readily driven by passive playback of vocalizations and other acoustic stimuli. In contrast, neurons suppressed during vocalization exhibited more diverse playback responses, including responses that were not predictable by auditory tuning properties. These results suggest that vocalization-related excitation in auditory cortex is largely a sensory-driven response. In contrast, vocalization-induced suppression is not well predicted by a neuron's auditory responses, supporting the prevailing theory that internal motor-related signals contribute to the auditory-vocal interaction observed in auditory cortex.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mFx1EI
via IFTTT
Source:Hearing Research
Author(s): Steven J. Eliades, Xiaoqin Wang
During speech, humans continuously listen to their own vocal output to ensure accurate communication. Such self-monitoring is thought to require the integration of information about the feedback of vocal acoustics with internal motor control signals. The neural mechanism of this auditory-vocal interaction remains largely unknown at the cellular level. Previous studies in naturally vocalizing marmosets have demonstrated diverse neural activities in auditory cortex during vocalization, dominated by a vocalization-induced suppression of neural firing. How underlying auditory tuning properties of these neurons might contribute to this sensory-motor processing is unknown. In the present study, we quantitatively compared marmoset auditory cortex neural activities during vocal production with those during passive listening. We found that neurons excited during vocalization were readily driven by passive playback of vocalizations and other acoustic stimuli. In contrast, neurons suppressed during vocalization exhibited more diverse playback responses, including responses that were not predictable by auditory tuning properties. These results suggest that vocalization-related excitation in auditory cortex is largely a sensory-driven response. In contrast, vocalization-induced suppression is not well predicted by a neuron's auditory responses, supporting the prevailing theory that internal motor-related signals contribute to the auditory-vocal interaction observed in auditory cortex.
from #Audiology via ola Kala on Inoreader http://ift.tt/2mFx1EI
via IFTTT
Εγγραφή σε:
Αναρτήσεις (Atom)